CASA Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Debra Nelson
“Being a CASA allows me the opportunity to watch human growth unfold.”
Debra Nelson has been part of Porter County CASA since 2019. Before joining the program, she was in the education field as a speech/language pathologist, a special education teacher, and a special education administrator for programming for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In her retirement, Debra is teaching herself how to sew, and she enjoys making clothes for her grandchildren. She also loves the outdoors, and she and her husband like to hike and camp. She has recently taken up golf, and although she says she is “lousy” at it, she is having fun on the course!
Throughout her entire career, Debra has advocated for children. When she retired and moved to Valparaiso, she thought it was a great time to volunteer as a CASA to continue to help children and to give back to her new community. One of the things she finds most rewarding is to watch a child grow and mature both emotionally and intellectually while gaining confidence. Debra has also found that another benefit of being a CASA is that she has grown in her knowledge of human growth and development, family dynamics, the child welfare system, and the legal system. She says that through her CASA work, she continues to cultivate her communication and advocacy skills.
Debra continues to work with Porter County CASA because she believes that “strong, healthy families are the core of a thriving community.” She has been fortunate enough to have had a loving and supportive family as well as a network of close friends who lift her up. When we are lucky enough to have that, she feels like we should pass it on to others. She is proud to live in a community where compassion, dedication, skills, and perseverance are important to its citizens who have a desire to help those in need.
Debra so eloquently believes, “The hard work, time, and periods of disquiet when confronted with concerning situations that a CASA encounters can be taxing at times. Many, if not all, worthwhile things in life demand sacrifice. The satisfaction of knowing that, as a CASA, you helped one child’s life become a bit better makes your sacrifice worthwhile.”
A huge thanks to Debra Nelson and her hard work for Porter County CASA!
