Meet Austin Truitt, Development Specialist at Voices for CASA Children
Name: Austin Truitt
Current city of residence: Scottsdale
What is your role at Voices for CASA Children?
I am the Development Specialist
How long have you been with the organization?
Coming up on 3 months
What brought you to work in the child welfare field?
I have been very involved in volunteer work since high school. Throughout college at Arizona State University, I was part of an on-campus organization called Camp Kesem that supports children who have had a parent with cancer. This furthered my passion for helping children, and being able to continue this into my professional life is wonderful!
What’s your “Why” in “Why CASA”?
My “Why” is for bettering the lives of those who were given an unfair and unfortunate start to their own life, but then being able to help them succeed and become their true self without being defined by their past.
What’s the best part of your job? Why?
I say the variety of people I get to interact with. From meeting with potential donors and sponsors, to meeting with CASA’s and hearing their stories of how much being a CASA means to them. It is all very enjoyable and quite rewarding. Within the first month I started working here, I was already on the field meeting Arizona Cardinals players which was amazing!
What was your first job?
I was a baseball umpire at the age of 14! I did that for about two years and then worked as a legal assistant until I left Colorado to attend Arizona State.
Dogs or cats? Coffee or Tea? Mountains or Beach?
Why not both for each?! I love corgis and cats, coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon, mountains in the winter and beach in the summer!
In what cities have you lived? Which one do you consider “home”?
I grew up in Littleton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver 20 minutes west. I have also lived in Prague, Czech Republic, for three months during my study abroad! It is tough which one to call home because I have so many fond memories at each place, though I would still have to say Colorado is my true home.
What is your favorite movie?
Before Sunset by Richard Linklater. I love the fluidity of the movie along with its representation of Paris!
Who inspires you?
My friends and family without a doubt.
