Carla Orellana, Director and Projector Manager of the Gambling Prevention Program at Worcester State University's Office of University and Community Engagement, is a lifelong Worcester resident and Worcester State alum with a background in public health and youth development. After first working with the Latino Education Institute (LEI) as an undergraduate, Carla went on to hold community engagement roles at Clark University before returning to her alma mater to lead this multi-year, grant-funded partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The Youth Leaders in Problem Gambling Prevention Project uses peer education and a public health approach to help prevent problem gambling among BIPOC youth in Central Massachusetts, focusing on the social factors that shape health and wellness rather than solely on personal responsibility. Through partnerships with the LEI and local organizations such as Community Health Impact, El Buen Samaritano, and the Latin American Business Organization (LABO), Carla’s team integrates gambling prevention education into culturally responsive youth programs. She also aims to increase awareness on campus as sports betting and online gambling becomes more prevalent among college students. Carla says that their objective is not to tell youth that gambling is bad, but rather to provide them with the educational resources and tools to learn about problem gambling and to bring to light the impact it can have on your life, health, and your wellness. For Carla, the most rewarding part of her work is seeing the lasting impact of these efforts. “Even though I am not working directly with the youth,” she says, “the work I do is helping them grow, and helping our community grow.”