People discover Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in a variety of ways, but learning about CASA’s life-changing work via a true-crime podcast is rather unusual.

Yet, that’s how CASA’s Advocate of the Year, Ruth Cochran, first learned of CASA. She says, “I was a big fan of true-crime podcasts and one of them always ended with listeners sharing something that made them happy that week to offset the grim subject matter. One week, someone shared that they had just become a CASA and explained what it was.”

At the time, Ruth was searching for something more personally meaningful than what her job provided.  “I needed to do something in my life that benefited people more than just collecting a paycheck,” she says. “CASA seemed like a worthwhile organization, so I went to the information session and knew right away it was exactly what I wanted to do.”

Since being sworn in, Ruth has been matched with two youths. Her first match was a young boy who was eventually adopted by a family member. Even after his case closed, Ruth has remained in contact with him. The two recently reconnected when he was going through a difficult time following the death of a parent. “We just met and hung out — I wanted to see if he was okay,” Ruth says. “I check in with him to see what he’s up to, and he invites me to his choir concerts and volleyball games from time to time.

CASA OC is committed to protecting the privacy of the children we serve. This photo features a CASA OC volunteer, Ruth Cochran, with a professional model and does not depict a youth in foster care.

When it came time for Ruth to be matched with another youth, she was asked if she would consider taking a Youth Justice case (formerly known as Juvenile Justice). These cases involve youth in the juvenile court system who often do not receive the same support services provided to children in the dependency system.

“I talked to Amy Crowley, CASA’s Collaborative Courts Manager, and she explained that these are the same kids CASA has always served, just in slightly different situations,” Ruth says. “I realized these youth may need a different kind of support — which is something I can provide.”

Ruth describes her current youth with obvious affection. “He’s 15 and a very cool kid,” she says. “He’s fun and we have a great time together. He’s very polite and super sweet. He just has a very complicated family situation.”

Building trust with a young person who has experienced significant challenges takes time, but Ruth believes her personality helps create that connection. “I think my personality allows people to trust me and open up to me pretty quickly,” she says. “There are many times when he gets in my car and says, ‘I have so much to tell you!’”

As a court-appointed advocate, Ruth has the opportunity to share insights about her youth through court reports and court appearances — highlighting strengths that others might not see. “I can share how he’s going to school every day, which is a plus,” she says. “He has his ups and downs, but he’s slowly improving, which is a win.” Ruth also makes sure the court hears about the qualities that make her youth special. “I get to share the nice things about him — how he’s really polite and treats restaurant servers with kindness,” she says. “When I drop him off, if it’s raining he’ll say, ‘Drive safe,’ or he’ll text to make sure I got home okay. Sometimes he just checks in, which is really nice. I get to tell the judge those things so the court sees that side of him too.”

Serving as an advocate is just one of the many ways Ruth contributes to CASA. She is also a member of Comunidad CASA, a Hispanic-focused affinity group launched a few years ago. “Comunidad is designed to support advocates who are Hispanic themselves or who are matched with kids who are Hispanic,” Ruth explains. “We share ideas about activities that help connect youth with their culture. We also talk about challenges advocates may face communicating with Spanish-speaking foster parents or caregivers. And we work on new ways to recruit more Hispanic advocates.”

Ruth Cochran (fourth from left) with affinity group Comunidad CASA

Norma Mendoza, CASA’s Volunteer Recruitment Manager, says Ruth’s perspective is invaluable. “Ruth is bilingual and has experience working with Spanish-speaking caregivers,” Norma says. “With that experience, and her own identity, she provides culturally holistic input and advice for her fellow advocates in Comunidad CASA.”

Ruth also serves on CASA’s newly launched Youth Justice affinity group, which brings together advocates supporting youth involved in the juvenile court system. At a recent meeting, a specialized attorney spoke with advocates about navigating youth justice cases.

Amy Crowley says Ruth’s willingness to step into this work is having an impact. “I am so appreciative of Ruth’s willingness to take a youth justice case and admire her openness to providing support, compassion and humor for her youth,” Amy says. “She is truly engaged in walking alongside him and seeing him for who he is rather than trying to change him.”

Ruth is thoughtful when reflecting on what it means to support a youth who has had contact with the legal system. “The only difference between me and my kid is my circumstances,” she says. “I was born into a family that surrounded me with love and support. I have a ton of aunts, uncles and cousins — we’re a big, happy family with lots of support. We’re fundamentally not that different from one another. It’s just the luck of the birth lottery.”

Ruth’s commitment to CASA extends even further. When Norma asked if she would help facilitate a portion of CASA’s Belonging training for new advocates, Ruth immediately agreed. “I’d do pretty much anything Norma asked me to do,” she laughs.

The training helps volunteers better understand how to support youth from diverse backgrounds. “It covers things like youth with disabilities, LGBTQ+ kids, cultural differences and ethnicity,” Ruth explains. “The goal is to build sensitivity and awareness around how to keep children connected with their culture and help them feel like they belong.”

Norma says Ruth’s real-world experience makes her an exceptional contributor to the training. “She brings a unique perspective to the Belonging unit of core training,” Norma says. “She’s able to pull directly from her volunteer experience to help new advocates understand how they can foster identity and belonging for the youth we serve.”

When CASA recently transitioned its entire database into a new Salesforce-powered system called The Advocate Hub, Ruth once again volunteered her time. Drawing on her professional background, she provided feedback on the new system’s functionality. “I went through the system and analyzed how the user experience felt,” Ruth says. “I reviewed processes and created a presentation with suggestions for improvement.”

Ruth also finds time to volunteer at community tabling events, joining CASA’s recruitment team to speak with potential volunteers. “I like tabling and talking to people about the life-changing work CASA does,” she says.

Kevin Plata, Ruth’s Advocate Supervisor, says her impact has been extraordinary. “In Ruth’s time volunteering with us, she has made an extraordinary impact through both dedication and initiative,” Kevin says. “She has represented our recruitment team at community events, collaborated with us to strengthen the implementation of the Advocate Hub and partnered with our training team to help prepare new advocates.”

Ruth Cochran (far right) with fellow CASA OC volunteers.

“But above all,” he adds, “I am especially proud of the way she stepped forward to take on a challenging youth justice case where she has been a constant, proactive and compassionate support system for a young man navigating probation. Her genuine passion and belief in our mission is evident in everything she does — she truly embodies what it means to be a CASA.”

Ruth laughs as she recalls the moment she learned she had been named Advocate of the Year. “I didn’t recognize the number and saw I had a voicemail from Regan Phillips, CASA OC’s CEO,” she says. “For a second I panicked and thought, ‘Am I in trouble?’ Then I thought, ‘Why would the CEO call me to yell at me?’” When she returned the call and heard the news, Ruth says she immediately burst into tears. “The rest of the conversation was basically me repeating, ‘This is so nice. Thank you!’”

After a moment of reflection, she adds: “I genuinely love CASA very much and am so grateful for the opportunity to be there for kids who need it. How cool that CASA exists and that a child could maybe win the CASA lottery and get matched with someone who cares about them and will be a presence they can count on. That’s a really cool thing.”

Ruth will be honored as CASA’s Advocate of the Year at CASA’s Celebration Gala on Saturday, May 16, at the Pendry Newport Beach. Tickets for the event are still available.