FSP Coach Spotlight: Claudia Benavides-Espinoza
Claudia Benavides-Espinoza, Clinical Associate Professor of Sport Management at 美国德克萨斯A&M大学 , participated in NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program back when she was working to obtain her full professor title. The program was so influential in her professional journey that she decided to return as a coach after reaching alumni status. Learn more about her journey:
How long have you been coaching with the NCFDD?
I have been coaching since 2021. I fell in love with the Faculty Success program when I went through it as a participant, and then again as an alum. I made full professor at my previous institution, made a strategic plan for what I wanted my future in the profession to look like, and took deliberate and methodical steps to make that my and my family’s reality. I am the most fulfilled I have ever been as an academic and as a person because of the application of the principles spoused by the FSP. I coach them with relish and talk about it to all faculty who may not know about it, so they too can learn how to love their career instead of feeling they have an unfulfilling job.
What inspires you as an NCFDD coach?
Watching participants grow as they go through the program. Many start out, as I did, with empty energy tanks. Some of us start the FSP depleted, intimidated by the job, and swallowed whole by it. As the program unfolds, they (we!) grow into the best versions of themselves, or better yet, the version of the academic they want to be. Watching them prioritize what really matters to them and truly pursue those priorities with passion and gusto fills my heart with joy.
What does a typical coaching session look like for you?
For the first half of the program, we start out by discussing the stumbling blocks of the homework. I call it the “weekly task” because I find calling it “homework” can be off-putting to some participants. We start by discussing wins from the weekly task and the stumbling blocks. Then, we move on to "their time". In this time, each participant tells the rest of the group how their week went. They talk about their goals and what helped them meet each one. If they did not meet a certain goal, they have the opportunity to brainstorm what got in the way. This helps us look for patterns in the group or in their individual practices. At this point, the group jumps in with support and advice. It's always lovely to watch the camaraderie and collective wisdom. I have amassed quite the repertoire of suggestions over the years. As the group as a whole outgrows these accountability-type sessions, we transition into a masterminding format where participants bring a situation to the group for discussion and we talk about that during our small group coaching sessions. It usually stays within the bounds of what is distracting them from their writing or what is keeping them from meeting their well-being goals, but within that space it can get quite varied.
What has been your favorite project or experience with the NCFDD so far?
How many resources they have! Between the Monday Motivators, the yearly curriculum, the webinars and everything else the FSP has to offer – like the one-on-one coaching and the WriteNow platform – the number of resources seems unending. I haven't even been able to go through all of them. I have put time and effort into watching as much as I can so I can have it at the ready when participants need something specific, but I’ve been unable to go through it all quite yet. It amazes me in the best way!
List 3 words that describe your work at the NCFDD.
Productivity, wellbeing and holistic.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Most people do not know my husband and I adopted one of our kids as a teen – it has been the most wonderful and terrifying thing we have ever done. He is now grown, living on his own with his family and is a contributing member of society. We are very proud of him and love him dearly!