ORLANDO, Fla. — Six years ago Sunday, Central Florida awoke to tragedy after the lives of 49 people were taken when a gunman opened fire inside the Pulse Nightclub south of downtown Orlando.

More than 50 others survived the shooting, but their wounds are forever a part of them.

The nightclub was a popular hangout for many in the LGBTQ community, celebrating Latin night in the middle of Pride Month.

The tragedy changed the community forever, and those lost will be remembered in a special Six-Year Pulse Remembrance Ceremony at 7 p.m., where the families of those who were lost, survivors and first responders will gather at the memorial site together.

For those who did survive, their lives were changed forever in ways they never imagined.

After the shooting at Pulse nightclub, one survivor, Ricardo Negron, decided to switch his mentorship program from helping high school students and first year college students to helping other Pulse survivors based on his experience.

He says he was tired of only being viewed as a survivor, and wanted to change the conversation for himself and others.

Through his program, Negron works to help Pulse survivors find ways to make a difference in the community through issues they are passionate about. He believes it is important that their voices are front and center when it comes to important community conversations in the wake of tragedy.

“It is very important to not just frame Pulse survivors and survivors of any other tragedy as we’ve been seeing across the country just as that, but to give the opportunity for them to use their voices if they want to, and for them to speaking about what their needs are, what they feel is important, how to address the violence that is happening, how to address the healing process,” said Negron.

Each Pulse survivor who wants to participate in the program is mentored and given help on their own community project. Negron’s project, Del Ambiente, is centered around healthcare access for LGBTQ-plus Puerto Ricans.