HE/HIM

Respite Provider

Trae is a charismatic, enthusiastic, energetic outdoorsman who wants to bring the excitement of exploration into the minds of others. Trae loves to interact with people and has always had a knack for being a leader and having a creative, outside-of-the-box way of doing things. He enjoys diving headfirst into new experiences and challenging himself. Being a Respite Care Provider has been his most recent endeavor: motivated to facilitate a feeling of family and belonging for those in need. Trae prides himself on being relatable and approachable to the youth; coming across as both a mentor and a friend.  

Trae’s experience working alongside children began at a S.T.E.M. enrichment after-school program in Salt Lake City. At 16 years old he was the leading Lego Robotics instructor, as well as helping kids with their homework and nurturing their social skills. Trae then merged his passion for outdoor recreation with his love for children by heading to Colorado to become a head camp counselor at a wilderness adventure summer camp. He lead groups of youth on 5-day backpacking trips deep into the Colorado wilderness, teaching them practical skills along the way. This was a formative experience that solidified Trae’s interest in helping children. Inspired to push himself harder, Trae spent a year working as a field guide for a wilderness therapy program, ensuring the safety of the students for 8 days at a time in the desolate, unforgiving, yet beautiful wilderness of Utah’s west desert. He spent over 100 nights sleeping beneath the stars with youth who were seeking to improve their mental health. After some time at a residential treatment center, Trae was blessed with the opportunity to work at Project Connection.

Trae’s mother, a social worker, instilled in him a passion for helping those in need. His mother worked alongside Respite Care Providers throughout her career and her passion galvanized Trae to take action. Trae is honored to walk in his mother’s footsteps and be there for others.