Hello!

My name is Marilyn Shea, and I’m still pretty new to CASA. I joined in January of this year and am currently working on my very first case.

For decades, I was a special education teacher, and I recently retired. I had heard a bit about CASA and was drawn to the idea that it might allow me to connect more deeply with a child, something that was often difficult to do when juggling the needs of so many students in the classroom.

Having spent years working with students who struggled with social and emotional challenges, I felt well-prepared to support a truancy case. So many of the kids I worked with battled negative self-talk, those internal messages that tell them they’re not good enough. Things like, “I’m no good at math,” or “I’ll never have friends.” When a child truly believes they can’t succeed, it becomes incredibly hard to even get them to try. Helping kids silence those voices and replace them with confidence and hope became one of my passions as a teacher.

That’s why I believe so deeply in the importance of social-emotional learning, and it’s also what makes my work with CASA so meaningful. I’ve had the chance to get to know my CASA child in a way that goes far beyond academics. At first, she was very shy. But everything began to shift the day she asked me to walk her to school.

Now, walking a child to school isn’t standard CASA practice, but in this case, it served two important purposes. First, I could see she was making it to school on time. But more than that, our walks gave us time to connect. During one of our morning chats, she told me all about a graphic novel she was reading, her voice lighting up with excitement. I brought her a few books I thought she might like, and later, for her birthday, I sent her a Barnes & Noble gift card. Her mom told me she picked out two books to read over the summer. That small moment felt big. It was evidence of trust, of progress, and of a growing spark in her love for learning.

Everyone I’ve met at CASA has been incredibly supportive and kind. Of course, there have been moments when I wasn’t quite sure what to do, but every time I reached out for guidance, whether to my supervisor or fellow advocates, I was met with understanding and encouragement. That support has made all the difference.

There are many ways to volunteer in your community. Some roles, like stocking shelves in a food pantry, are vital and deeply appreciated. But if you’re looking for something that engages both your heart and your mind, CASA is a powerful place to serve. You’ll need creativity, compassion, and flexibility. You’ll learn so much, and one thing’s for sure: it will never be boring.