by Ashika Sethi
Austin native Jocelyn Lewis has devoted her time to helping youth in more ways than one. Aside from working on the same case for two and a half years as a CASA volunteer, Jocelyn works as a Senior Research Specialist for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, conducting statistical analysis on juvenile probation data.
Through CASA and her full-time job, Jocelyn is able to make actionable change and provide insight about juvenile justice trends in order to to help members of the community make data-driven decisions.
"I love actually being able to do something more than just teach college students or write a paper about social problems," says Jocelyn. "There is a lot of crossover with youth in foster care and the juvenile justice system, and my interest in becoming a CASA volunteer put all of the information I've learned into practice to make a big impact."
On her days off, Jocelyn enjoys hiking, touring wineries, spending time with her extended family and volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Central Texas to deliver food for the elderly and adults with disabilities.
Altruism is a constant for Jocelyn, and she has a clear reason as to why her work at CASA is making a difference.
“While there’s so much inconsistency and uncertainty in the life of a child who’s in the foster care system, their CASA volunteer may be the one person who is consistently there for them," says Jocelyn. "A CASA is an adult who this child can rely on to be there for them, give them encouragement, and advocate for their best interest.”
Advocacy November 2017
