By Sara Blake
Driven scholar, dually employed, and CASA advocate: Emma is no stranger to getting things done! Emma graduated UT Austin this spring with a bachelor’s degree in communications, taking on a higher course load to graduate early. As she studied, she worked as a teaching assistant, a barista at a coffee shop, and began volunteering with CASA.
But Emma takes it all in stride, letting her full life propel her forward to her next step: graduate school for a degree in social work.
Emma says she has always had a heart for kids. “I have a little sister (now 16) who I loved helping take care of growing up,” Emma reminisces. “I also babysat and nannied a lot as a teenager, and just loved being that consistent person for the families I worked for.” Originally, Emma planned to continue working with kids by becoming a juvenile defense attorney. “I wanted to be able to help provide a voice for kids in tough situations,” she explains. But as Emma continued school, she realized there were other ways to help kids too.
One summer back home in Cleburne, Texas, Emma reached out to a friend’s mother who ran the Children’s Advocacy Center of Johnson County. “I was already considering changing my career path to social work, but I knew I needed more hands-on experience with kids in the child welfare system,” Emma explains. “While I worked there, I just fell in love with the world of child advocacy.”
“I was already considering changing my career path to social work, but I knew I needed more hands-on experience with kids in the child welfare system."
Emma’s boss at the advocacy center introduced her to their local CASA program, which led Emma to apply to volunteer with CASA of Travis County when she returned to Austin for school. “Turns out I applied a little early, before the mandatory age of 21,” Emma says with a laugh, “but it was worth the wait!”
As Emma adjusted to her role as a child advocate, she realized her biggest fear was not the time commitment or speaking in court – “my communications degree prepared me for that!” – it was missing the chance to advocate for something a child really needed. “I worried about overlooking something important or making the wrong recommendation,” admits Emma. “But I realized that’s exactly why I have a supervisor. We are in this together. While it can be hard to not to be able to talk to people in my life about the nuances of the case, I’m so thankful I have my supervisor to process it with me.”
"We are in this together. While it can be hard to not to be able to talk to people in my life about the nuances of the case, I’m so thankful I have my supervisor to process it with me.”
Emma recently had the chance to witness the difference the right placement can make for a child. “The child on my case was just moved into a more therapeutic placement. Hearing the new foster parent speak so positively about who this child truly is reassured our entire team. I couldn’t stop smiling during the meeting—it was the first time someone saw them not just through the lens of their trauma and behavior, but as a whole, unique person."
“No matter how many responsibilities I’m balancing, I know how much this work matters. We always need more volunteers, and a child can always use you in their life.”
Emma hopes she can be an encouragement to anyone considering volunteering with CASA. “No matter how many responsibilities I’m balancing, I know how much this work matters. We always need more volunteers, and a child can always use you in their life.”
