Nita Umashankar

Marketing Professor
Court Appointed Special Advocate

Nita Umashankar

SDSU marketing professor, Nita Umashankar, plays a crucial role in the development and safeguarding of children in the local foster care system. 

As a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), Umashankar is assigned to work with specific cases by a San Diego County juvenile court judge. After meeting with the youth, their teachers and caretakers, she advocates for the child to make sure their emotional, social, physical and medical needs are being met. “After our meetings, I write reports for the court recording my observations and making recommendations,” said Umashankar. “It amounts to around 10 hours each month.” 

It was Umashankar’s interest in protecting and supporting at-risk children that led her to volunteer for the CASA program. To qualify as a volunteer, she was required provide several letters of recommendation, submit to thorough background checks, and undergo a 40-hour CASA training program. In January 2022, two months after completing her training, Umashankar was working with her first case.

Umashankar noted that the experience — while “very humbling” — has been emotional and enlightening as well. “As a CASA, I’ve learned that many current policies, and even my own beliefs, could be subject to bias, privilege and interpretation,” she said. “It is easy to assume that removing a child from a home is better than leaving them in a precarious situation, but only when I set aside those preconceived beliefs and biases, am I able to be an effective advocate for the child.” 

“Although my work as a CASA can be very difficult at times, it is incredibly rewarding to advocate for foster youth while ensuring some measure of comfort and assistance to those families facing very trying circumstances.”