Eliana De Le Garza is a member of the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Company, a partner of Start Strong Austin and describes Changing Lives as her “second family.”  Throughout the school year Eliana works with the theatre group to create and perform original shows in middle schools that address issues like bullying, harassment and teen dating violence.

As the youngest member of the group, Eliana is committed to the program because she believes that these types of problems persist because people remain silent. She hopes that her work with Start Strong and Changing Lives can help to educate people about teen dating violence, encourage teens to talk more openly about the issue and help teens learn how to respond in difficult situations.

Eliana has come to understand the complex nature of abuse through her work with Changing Lives. She believes it is important for youth to be involved in community programs like Start Strong because they enable youth to interact with peers from their entire community. 

This fall, Eliana will be a freshman at McCallum High School in Austin, and plans to continue her work with the Changing Lives Youth Theatre Company and a teen leader for Start Strong.