How she got to Texas – Her family travels in packs and they all moved here together!

Freetime – She’s a runner, and is very involved with Communities in Schools, FuturoFund, Leadership Austin and other community organizations.

Working with CASA – Maria has had 3 cases with CASA and worked with a total of 7 children.

What kind of volunteer experience does CASA provide - "For me, CASA has really broadened my perspective of what it means to live in Austin. It is such a great city and has so much to offer but there are so many people that I think get lost and sometimes I tend or people tend to live in a bubble and not realize that there’s so much out there. When I started working for CASA, I was able to go to many new parts of the city that I didn't know and see how rich the history and the culture is."

How she got started - "I was looking to volunteer and do something very meaningful and impactful and something where I could really get involved. I discovered CASA just by doing research, and I applied and went through the training. It’s been one of the best experiences that I’ve had.

Why does she keep taking cases – “Every time CASA calls about a case, I can’t say no. They wouldn’t call unless somebody needed my help to fill a role that no one else is able to do.”

CASA in her own words - "CASA - the advocates and the organization - is just really there for the kids. To advocate for the kids. No matter what red tape the state has to go through or what issues the parents have, CASA is there for the kids to make sure they have a safe and secure upbringing."

Thoughts on CASA's training process - "The training was great. It was eye-opening for me. Everyday I was there, I learned something new and walked away with a lot of questions that I was able to get answered at the next training session. I really enjoyed sitting in court and observing cases because that is something that I didn’t see on a daily basis and just learning about the different cases that come up, the judges, and my role, in those cases was really helpful."

What she has learned about herself - "When I first started, I thought it was going to be really emotionally hard to connect with these kids and not be able to let go. But through training and through my experiences and learning from my CASA supervisor, I’ve learned that letting go of the kids is healthier for them and for myself in wanting to be involved all the time. That was a little different for me, and I get that question a lot actually from volunteers - ‘How can you not get attached to the kids?' What you realize is that they need to be stable with one forever family so you being so emotionally involved is not the best help for them in terms of bonding with their forever family."

Final words – “I don’t know why more people aren’t pushing down the door to make sure that every child has a CASA advocate.”