STAFF PROFILE – Mekayla Cochrane: “To succeed, you need to be adaptable and independent. You have to be ready for the lows, but the highs do balance it out. Community can be hard work, but it’s so rewarding.”
Mekayla did a trial with JRNSW during the pandemic and found that the ways of doing things and ways of working challenged the norm. She enjoyed seeing community-led initiatives take place, rather than a local government driven perspective, where those who would not usually can step up and lead were given a platform.
Mekayla joined JRNSW as the Moree Youth Lead and was promoted to the role of Manager this year. She describes the way of working at JRNSW as “very responsive”. While there is a long-term strategy, things can happen quickly in the Moree community, so she needs to be able to be flexible, adapt and react to whatever the situation demands. There is no red tape, so she is able to offer help when people need something, and JR has a reputation for being reliable for this reason. People aren’t turned away if they’re not a client or don’t have a referral, or they’re of a certain age or background. However, navigating community politics doesn’t come without its challenges, and there can often be pressure for JRNSW to lead and respond to incidents in town.
Being in this role has opened Mekayla’s eyes to a whole new world. Working towards the concept of justice reinvestment is rewarding – it’s about doing what’s best for community, seeing young people grow and explore opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have.
Mekayla sees her role in community as being important outside of her role as the Manager. She stresses the importance of relationships with young people and their families encountering the system, and those who work with these young people, as being a contributing factor to lowering incarceration.
It’s also rewarding for Mekayla to see young people in community have access to different types of role models, and for new young people to be coming through the door. When they first come in young people can feel reluctant to engage, asking who the boss is, and being afraid of being growled at. Mekayla does things differently – she believes that there doesn’t have to be a person in power, so she operates from an angle of being supportive. Being the Manager also allows Mekayla to have a seat at the table. She is invited to more events and is taken seriously by other organisations.
Mekayla values professional development, both for herself and others. She enjoys hearing that team members ask for more work, showing independence and growth. She has completed a narrative therapy course which she draws on. While the role can be very challenging in terms of the highs and lows, Mekayla has to maintain balance, and this is a skill. She knows that the only thing she has control over is how she reacts.
Mekayla has no plans on leaving JRNSW, but in her ideal world she would grow herself out of a job, meaning community is in a position where they support themselves. To achieve this, she wants to grow community-led foundations, such as a youth voice and community voice. In other words, long-term sustainable community-led spaces.
To anyone considering a career in justice reinvestment Mekayla encourages them to come on board if they’re willing to do things differently and try something new.
In this series of staff profiles we highlight how employment can also be a ‘circuit-breaker’. Both for our employees, who often come to our organisation as Youth Ambassadors with lived experience and then go on to develop their careers. But also, for the lives they touch in the day-to-day work – employment at JRNSW allows people to work directly in and for communities. By sharing career stories of some of our employees, we hope to showcase their success, their development and their aspirations.