Advocate of the Year – 2020 Nominees

Nominee #4: Matt Jugran

This week’s nominee is completely committed to the cause! Matt Jugran has been a CASA for over a year and a half and has carried the same case since day one. Matt has been a constant for this teenage boy who, like most teens, isn’t always the easiest to get through to. Matt has worked to build a relationship with his CASA child by remaining consistent and always following through with what he says he is going to do. Although Matt works full-time and has his own family, he has ensured to still visit his teen on important holidays. Just this past year Matt made sure to visit his teen on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, just to drop off some gifts and to spend time with him.

Matt is great at many things as a CASA – but especially at advocating for his child’s educational needs. Matt would regularly meet with the school counselor in person to make sure his child was staying on track. When the judge asked the child to watch educational videos about marijuana use, Matt made sure that was done (and bonus, it seemed to help the child stop using).

His dedication is apparent in the way he seeks out knowledge and does what he can to apply it immediately. Outside of his CASA advocacy, Matt takes it upon himself to try and be involved in all the CASA events to get to know his fellow advocates. He strives to be involved in the program as a whole and even helped string lights and set up for the Christmas parade.

It’s CASA’s like Matt, who take the time to ensure their child’s needs are being met and that their voices are being heard, that make us an exceptional organization and asset to our community. We are very fortunate to have Matt as a part of our CASA family and we look forward to what more he has to offer in the future.