De'Shawn

At the St. Martin de Porres Family Center, De'Shawn, an 11th grader at Villa Angela- St. Joseph High School, worked a paid summer job supervising other teens serving meals, or playing games with senior citizens. "It helped my social and leadership skills," said De'Shawn. Under the supervision of the site administrator and director, he grew in confidence listening to the perspectives of an older generation. Kayla has been in the Teen Leadership programs since 8th grade, helping younger kids with homework, producing podcasts, and researching for presentations. "In the leadership program, students treat each other like family. I'm introverted, and this helped me grow socially." Says Kayla.