Jennifer Bonvillian
Meet Jennifer Bonvillian. She is a mother to triplets, Chris, Kate, and John. They are in 3 different colleges in 3 different states. To say they keep Jennifer busy is an understatement. She also has a dog named Scout at home to keep her company while the kids are away. She is a retired speech-language pathologist who worked with the Early Steps Program. She was born in Houma and lived in Natchez, MS during high school. She returned to the Houma area after graduating from Ole Miss and LSUMC. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, doing Pilates, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Jennifer has been a CASA for a little over a year. She is currently on her first case with two children. She is doing BEAUTIFULLY! She is forming relationships with all involved parties even though it has been a chaotic year. She learned about CASA through her time working with Early Steps. She stated she always knew she wanted to volunteer but waited until her children graduated from high school. She loves being a voice for those who are too young to speak up for themselves. She says another perk to CASA is the new friendships that you form with other advocates and the staff. We do say that once you are a CASA you become family, and we truly mean that.
When asked what advice she would give to anyone thinking of becoming a CASA she said, “Just go for it - there will never be a perfect season in your life to become a CASA. The time and energy you put into the program will be returned to you tenfold through the relationships you form with these children and their biological and foster families. Always have an open mind - just because some families live differently than the way you do doesn’t mean they are wrong.”
