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Teen honored by Department of Juvenile Justice for turning his life around and mentoring others

Bradenton Herald - 1/24/2018

Jan. 23--BRADENTON -- A Bradenton teenager was honored Tuesday evening with the distinction of Youth Ambassador by the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice for turning his life around and acting as a mentor to other troubled youth.

Carlos Leyva, 17, was recognized during the annual Youth Success Day ceremony Tuesday evening at the Historic Capitol in Tallahassee.

It was a challenging road for Carlos after two stints in juvenile detention programs, but he successfully graduated from the Eckerd Connects' Project Bridge program last June. Since then, he continues working with the program acting as a youth leader and a mentor for others in the program, according to program director Hope Cross.

Project Bridge, founded in 2016 in partnership with DJJ to help youth in Central and South Florida successfully transition from residential commitment programs back into their community and reduce recidivism.

"When he came into our program, immediately we could tell that he definitely had the initiative it took to be a leader," Cross said.

Over the years that Cross has worked with Carlos, she said, the teen had overcome a lot in his life and had made the transition from his troubled past to moving toward his future. Cross said she couldn't think of anyone more deserving of being honored. Carlos was several times partnered with others who needed a little encourage, she said.

Carlos was humbled by the honor and opportunities given to him.

But the teen intends to continue helping other children. Now that he has graduated high school and held a steady job at O'Bricks Irish Pub and Martini Bar, he is looking to go to Keiser University or State College of Florida in hopes of becoming a pediatric nurse.

"I have always liked helping other people," Carlos said. "My mom was always like that. I guess that's where I get that trait from."

Regardless of what challenges or illnesses other children may face, Carlos thinks he has the patience needed and the understanding that some kids just need extra help, he explained.

During his years in and out of custody, Carlos was living with extended family because he struggled to get along with his mother and his father was not in his life, he recalled. But his parents have since reconciled, he says.

"It is quite beautiful that after all he has overcome, he and his family are working to repair the family relationship to get back to that place where the parent-child relationship should be," Cross said.

The Bradenton teen was first arrested at the age of 12. A runaway at the time of that arrest, Carlos refused to follow the orders of a law enforcement officer who was trying to take him into custody to take him back home, so he was charged with resisting a law enforcement officer.

"It was downhill from there," Carlos said.

Carlos got placed on probation, but he violated the conditions of his probation repeatedly, he recalled Tuesday. He was placed in a residential commitment program in Orange County where he spent at least six months. Later he was placed in the Eckerd Connect Youth Challenge residential commitment program, where he would learn about the Bridge Program.

He soon began to realize how many childhood experiences and friendships he was missing out on, and would continue to miss by being in and out detention, Carlos said. So he decided that if he was going to do something with his life, he would have to make changes.

Jessica De Leon: 941-745-7049, @JDeLeon1012

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