From 2015 to 2024, I served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer, advocating for 17 children in foster care over a nine-year period. I logged more than 1,700 volunteer hours—equivalent to over 70 days—and made more than 2,800 contacts with parents, foster families, service providers, social workers, and attorneys. I visited each child at least once a month, ensuring they had a consistent adult presence in their lives during incredibly uncertain times.
In the foster care system, placements often change, caseworkers rotate, and attorneys come and go. But as a CASA, I was the constant—following each child from beginning to end, sometimes for over a year. One of our core responsibilities is to submit reports to judges at every court hearing. These reports update the court on the child’s well-being, the progress of their parents, and ultimately include our recommendations—often the most difficult judgment of all: whether a child should return home or whether parental rights should be terminated.
This work was incredibly rewarding, and also incredibly difficult. It demanded emotional resilience, critical thinking, empathy, and the courage to make high-stakes decisions that directly impacted a child's future.
So why does this matter on a School Board?
Because children deserve leaders who not only know how to listen and advocate—but who do so when the stakes are highest. School Board members are entrusted with ensuring that every child receives a high-quality education. This means navigating complex issues, staying connected to a wide range of stakeholders, and—most importantly—never losing sight of the child at the center of every decision.
I spent nearly a decade being that advocate—working with children and families when it mattered most. I will bring that same passion, diligence, and commitment to the School Board.
