Ben Cadranel learned about CASA when he was a law student at McGeorge School of Law and had the opportunity to observe firsthand the vulnerability of children in the foster system. Right away, he knew he wanted to give back.
“By all accounts I have had a privileged life. I had a stable home, loving parents, and a carefree youth. However, my family did have a deep history of struggle and because of that I always identified with those who had to fight to survive. My wife and I both share a commitment to our community and wanted to do something both meaningful and impactful.”
His wife, Nancy, was trained as a CASA and was subsequently hired to work at Yolo County CASA as an advocate supervisor through AmeriCorps. Ben decided to go through the training to become a CASA as well. “Working with foster youth makes you realize the true definition of strength and courage, and what it really takes to overcome obstacles.”
The more Ben worked with foster youth, the more inspired he became. “The youth that I have interacted with are some of the most caring, intelligent, loving, and resilient people I have ever met. I can say without a doubt that my life has been changed forever by this experience.” In fact, Ben was so moved, he decided to dedicate his career to helping foster children. He has just been hired to be the director of resource development for the Foster and Kinship Care program, run through Woodland Community College. “I’ve found my calling and I would like foster youth to be my life’s work.”
Since becoming a CASA Ben has worked on two cases. While he carries many special memories with him, one in particular stands out. “I’ll never forget when I went to surprise my two-year-old CASA at his preschool. He yelled my name so loud and ran from across the playground to give me the biggest hug. When I began volunteering at CASA, I planned to do something for someone else with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Obviously, it didn’t turn out that way. The power of this experience has given me more than I ever imagined.”
Aside from his work with CASA, Ben has worked as an attorney, a professor of accounting, and volunteered for the Foster and Kinship Care program for several years. He and Nancy also have a six-month-old son, Joachim. “It would have been easy to be intimidated by the time commitment of being a CASA but then I would be missing so much of what makes my life complete. I truly can’t imagine my life without my CASA children and the other volunteer work I do with foster kids. Time is endless when passion is involved, and I can’t think of a cause I am more passionate about.”
