Deb Carlson believes in change.
That's because throughout her 32-year career working at the Grand Forks Juvenile Court, she's seen positive change impact lives.
Not every case has had a storybook ending for Carlson, who worked 28 years as a probation officer and juvenile supervisor before taking the juvenile court services director's position four years ago.
But some have.
One such story will be told by a former client today at Carlson's retirement party, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m. on the sixth floor of the Grand Forks County Office Building.
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Thirty years ago, Carlson encountered a troubled teen girl in a case she describes as one of the toughest of her career.
Fast-forward to spring 2011.
The woman, now a mother of three boys, saw one of her sons graduate from Grand Forks Red River High School at the top of his class.
"I told her, 'You had to break the cycle. It doesn't have to be like this for you and your kids. You just have to make the decision,'" Carlson said.
"She changed a generation. I'm just so lucky I got to see that. I didn't show her who I was, I showed her who she is. With love and support, the story is here that people can change."
From the day she arrived at the juvenile court as an intern while working on her master's degree at UND, Carlson knew she wanted to work with people.
"People are always so fascinating," she said. "I knew I'd have to have some kind of job that isn't boring. Every day, it became more and more fascinating to me. The first day I felt like I helped somebody, it's practically addicting."
In fact, her affinity for people made for a tough transition to the job of director, where she doesn't have as much personal contact with juveniles and their families.
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"The last four years as director, it really wasn't my thing like it was being a probation officer and supervisor."
Carlson, 59, was born in Washington, but her family moved to Grand Forks when she was nine.
She and her husband plan to retire to Arizona, where two of her five children already live in a retirement house she and her husband purchased.
"They have always re-energized my batteries," Carlson said of her family.
Carlson has tried to take a common sense approach to helping families and juveniles make a positive change.
"Our goal here is treatment and rehabilitation according to the statute, but really, it is see what's going wrong, and what can we do to set them on the right path."
