New Teen Court director hopes to help students
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on December 19, 2016 9:57 AM
Full Size
News-Argus/SETH COMBS
BreAnna VanHook, Teen Court director, was herself a volunteer in the program while attending high school at Charles B. Aycock. The recent law school graduate is studying for the bar exam and said she enjoys the opportunity to help steer young people to a more successful future.
When BreAnna VanHook volunteered in the Teen Court program in high school, she had no idea it would lead to her college major or to a career path.
In August, the 25-year-old who now holds a law degree became Teen Court director.
"I really liked being an attorney on Teen Court nights, especially a defense attorney, because I felt like I was helping kids get a second chance," she said.
VanHook spent two years in high school as a volunteer.
The Teen Court program has been operating in Wayne County for more than 15 years, and is sponsored by Communities in Schools. It is an alternative for teens -- primarily ages 12 to 18 who have been charged with misdemeanors -- preventing them from continuing on a delinquent path and having a criminal record follow them.
Student volunteers also participate in the program, being trained to serve in such roles as prosecuting and defense attorneys, jurors, bailiffs and clerks of court.
"Everyone had always told me, 'Oh, you should be a lawyer one day,' but I never wanted to do it," VanHook says now.
After graduating from Charles B. Aycock High School in 2009, she went to UNC-Chapel Hill to study sociology, minoring in religious studies.
"I went to college with the hope of becoming a forensic pathologist," she said. "I majored in biology, but I was not doing well in those classes so I had to figure out another path."
Following graduation from UNC in 2013, she attended law school at N.C. Central University, receiving her juris doctor degree this past May.
"I was a little nervous (about law school) because you know, you hear negative things about lawyers," she said with a laugh. "Once I got there, I realized as a lawyer I could actually be helping someone."
Her first attempt at the bar exam, at the end of July, was unsuccessful.
Other things, however, quickly lined up for her.
"The day after I took the bar, my friend Aries (Brinson), who was the previous Teen Court director, asked if I would be interested in her job because she was leaving, and I knew I was moving back home, back to Goldsboro in a few days," she said. "So I said yes, I would love to interview for her position.
"The day after I moved back here, I interviewed for the position and a day or two later I received a phone call letting me know that I was hired."
Selena Bennett, executive director of Communities of Schools, said VanHook stood out as being a "good fit" for the job.
"First of all, she had a great interest in working with the Teen Court program because of the fact she had been a volunteer as a high school student, so she already had the experience from the student perspective so I knew she could bring that to the table," she said. "The fact that she had the law background and already had great connections in the community -- she had interned in the DA's office the previous summer before she took the bar."
VanHook knows a lot of lawyers, clerks and people at the courthouse. All of that is important in this program.
"The third thing was I just saw a passion for wanting to give back to her own community. She could have gone anywhere but she wanted to come back to Goldsboro and be connected to this community," Bennett said.
The role calls for a variety of skills, starting with working closely with juveniles who have made poor choices.
"As Teen Court director I meet with potential clients," Miss VanHook said. "I get their version of what brought them to Teen Court. I don't only focus on the charge. I also focus on the positive things about them -- what do they like about themselves? What are they involved in? Are they helpful at home? Then we decide if they can participate in Teen Court."
She coordinates adult and teen volunteers for the once-a-month court nights, as well as ensuring each client gets a fair and constructive sentence.
"After that, I follow up with them very often to make sure that they're doing what they're supposed to do, that they're following that constructive sentence," she said. "I do all I can to make sure that they successfully complete the program so that they will not have convictions on their record."
Parental involvement is vital, but not always a given. One of the biggest challenges, she said, is not being able to collaborate with the parents.
"It's heartbreaking when you see a good kid, and their parents are not aiding them."
In those cases, she said she works to involve another relative or family friend.
The potential rewards in her job, she said, are helping a youth get on the right track in preparation of their future.
"I like seeing a child who made a mistake that I could have easily made when I was growing up, getting a second chance and turning it around," she said.
She is currently studying to take the bar exam in February, which will only enhance her current job.
"I would like to be licensed to practice law along with (this job)," she said. "I committed to at least one year."