Brandon Southward

Brandon began working for the Transformative Justice Community, overseeing the youth program, The Resilience Project, in fall 2022, when it was housed at Willamette University. There he coordinated “On the Outside,” a limited-series podcast focused on the stories and experiences of youth with parents who are currently or were formerly incarcerated. At TJC, Brandon grew The Resilience Project into a 360-support program for high-risk youth including essential needs, tutoring, and mentoring services. He directs this program while working full-time as a graduate coach for Sprague High School.

Brandon Southward was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and for reasons still unexplained his mom moved the family to Salem, Oregon when he was five years old. He is a product of the Salem Keizer School District and Oregon State University (OSU) where he earned his B.A. His love of supporting and connecting with youth began as an OSU undergraduate when he worked as a counselor for The Oregonian’s High School Journalism Institute. The camp supported diversity in the newsroom and gave a voice to underrepresented youth. After graduating from OSU, he worked as a reporter/writer for Fortune Magazine, Uproxx Sports, and The Statesman Journal before transitioning back to youth work at the Boys and Girls Club in Salem.