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By Jackie Bueno
This week, I’m highlighting Ollie Downs, a junior at UC Berkeley and an RJ Student Leader.
Here’s their bio:
Jackie: Where did you grow up?
Ollie: I grew up in various places in the U.S. I was born in Vallejo and lived there for 7 years. And then, my family moved to Phoenix for 2 years. And then, before I went to Cal, I lived in San Diego.
Jackie: What is your role at the RJ Center?
Ollie: I work on outreach and media. I’m working on developing a comic book to show people what RJ looks like, but I wish I could get more involved in the DeCal.
Jackie: Why did you decide to work for the Restorative Justice Center?
Ollie: I reached out to the Center, and through this process, I realized it was something I wanted to work on for myself. One thing led to another, I applied for the job, got it, and here we are.
Jackie: What do you think is the best part about working in RJ?
Ollie: The principles of the RJ manner are interesting. I knew I could be enthusiastic about this work. The more I learned about restorative justice versus punitive systems, the more I could really learn about these processes and the ramifications of having a punitive system versus a restorative one.
Jackie: What do you do in your free time?
Ollie: Felt work. I hang out a lot with my RA friends. I also like going to museums.
Jackie: Three words that describe what you hope for in 2018?
Ollie: Healing, diligence, self.