20 Under 40 | Jessie Stonebraker
Written and compiled by LAUREN JURGENSEN | Photos by JOHN BURN
Special Investigator & Response Team Specialist | Kansas Department for Children and Families
Jessie has dedicated her career to protecting and advocating for vulnerable youth, especially missing and trafficked children in foster care. Since stepping into her role in 2018, she has helped reduce the number of missing children in Kansas foster care from more than 100 to just 36.
Jessie builds trust with kids in crisis, advocates in courtrooms and shapes trauma-informed policies that put children first. She serves on multiple anti-human-trafficking coalitions, volunteers with LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center and sits on the board of The Jones Project. She also coaches wrestling at Washburn Rural, where she’s helped lead the girls’ team to four state championships, and empowers women through Jiu Jitsu training.
What are your favorite ways to give back to the community?
Coaching high school girls’ wrestling. I love helping the athletes build confidence on and off the mat, watching them grow into strong, capable young women. The culture on our team is incredible, and I know that the lessons they’re learning now will carry them into the future as leaders in our community.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Traveling. One of my favorite experiences was a 16-day road trip my husband and I took along the West Coast, from Washington to Southern California, in our old 2001 Jeep Cherokee. We camped in national parks the entire way. We’ve also experienced Thai fighting in Thailand, and by the time this article comes out, we’ll have just returned from Japan after watching the final day of the Grand Sumo Wrestling Tournament in Tokyo, this time with our toddler in tow.
Do you have a motto you live by?
“Be smart, work hard and do the right thing.” It actually came from a keychain my instructor gave our graduating class. Most probably didn’t think much of it at the time, but when I read it, I realized it was the key to success. Ever since, I’ve tried to live by those simple words every day.
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