CASA Volunteer Spotlight: Meet James Oconnor
“I’m beyond excited to be part of something bigger than I could do by myself.”
James Oconnor is one of our newest volunteers, and he has hit the ground running with his first case!
Since he was a teenager, James has studied and worked in martial arts. In 2017, he started running his own martial arts school. His goal is to help kids build up their confidence and give them valuable life lessons while teaching them martial arts. His calling has been to guide children through all parts of their lives, and that calling is what brought him to the Porter County CASA program.
While researching how to help his own children navigate the sometimes dangerous waters of the Internet, he realized that there is a gap in educating parents and their children about predators and what can happen while surfing the web. He wants to fill that gap and give back to the community by doing the most important job: keeping children safe.
From the extensive CASA training, James has learned so much about the court/legal system and resources he didn’t know existed. He says that although any system can have frustrating elements, he is proud of the valuable resources that can be offered to families and children in need. It’s important to James to give voice to children who are in the child welfare system. He says, “To give a child a chance at success can’t be ignored. I’ve learned that there are whole teams of people who care about children and their long term success.” He credits CASA volunteers, DCS, the magistrate, and parents who are struggling but willing to do what it takes to give children a true shot at success in life.
During training, James was an active participant in the class and asked incredibly insightful questions. He was open to seeing all sides of a story before making snap judgments, and he was always willing to see another point of view. His enthusiasm for helping children is evident from the first time speaking to him, and he truly wants to see all children have the chance to shine.
When he isn’t volunteering for CASA and teaching martial arts, James likes to spend his time working out and educating himself on a variety of topics. He loves to spend time playing with his own children, and there is also reading and some Netflix thrown into his free time!
We’re thrilled to have James as part of the CASA volunteer team, and we are eager to watch him fulfill his passion for helping children!
