Student-Athlete Development's Pioneer: Dr. Kristina Navarro-Krupka

Words can't describe what Kristina Navarro, Ph.D., CSCS has meant to the intercollegiate athletics and higher education industry. This personal reflection recalls the impact of one of our profession's most captivating leaders and trailblazers.

Kristina was ahead of her time -- a visionary organizational and strategic leader with a brilliant mind and a deeply caring heart. She embodied the mission of student development in intercollegiate athletics. And she redefined practitioner-scholar in higher education. But most importantly, she was a full, radiant human.

Her model programs were indeed "the model" -- data-driven, strategically aligned, leveraging corporate sponsorship, (re)defining national standards and organizational missions, the epitome of building and leading High Impact Practices (HIPs). Thousands of articles and presentations chronicled her achievements. The lives of mentees, colleagues, student-athletes, and coaches changed forever.

Humble beginnings

As a doctoral student early in my professional career, I remember trying to read everything that Kristina published, especially around student affairs, programmatic development, assessment, and evaluation.

Complimenting her scholarly work, she also led the way nationally, building model student-athlete development programs wherever she served: the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Rutgers University, and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. She was constantly shaping the conversation at the national level.

My own journey with Kristina formally started in 2016 when I summoned the courage to introduce myself. I was nervous as she was truly an inspiration to me. In true Kristina form, she responded generously, speaking with a quick wit and care in her signature Midwestern accent. She wasn't afraid to be a full human being in any interaction. Our mentor-mentee relationship took shape from there.

The work begins

In 2018, dear mentor and friend Dr. Lisa Rubin, PhD and I were thrilled to receive approval to host a General Session on assessment and evaluation at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA)-N4A Convention. I recall this being a career-defining moment, as the field was working to standardize in a new way. We immediately called Kristina to say we could not launch this project without her. She was the catalyst behind this work. We leveraged Implementing Student-Athlete Programming: A Guide for Supporting College Athletes, co-authored with Dr. Rubin and Dr. Geoff Mamerow (Rest in Peace), which had recently come out.

If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. -Sir Issac Newton

Doing the work

Kristina eventually mentored me through my roles at Boston University and my current position at Cal, as she has with many of my professional endeavors. We co-chaired the NACDA-N4A Standards & Assessment Sub-Committee from 2019-2021, and served as Faculty within the Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute (PDI) Student-Athlete Development Track in 2021 and 2022.

One of the pieces of work we were especially proud of was the inaugural N4A Student-Athlete Development White Paper, published in 2022. We were grateful to contribute with a group of 12-15 other colleagues publishing the first-ever industry competencies and standards under the leadership of past-president Ashton Henderson M.A., MBA and colleagues Mark Trumbo and Lamarr Pottinger .

Mentor to Friend

One of the most beautiful qualities about this profession is that it offers a familial connection within NACDA-N4A. I sometimes pinch myself to think Kristina started as my role model turned closest friend in the industry.

Future goals & dreams

Kristina was always thinking about how to further the industry. No matter her position -- whether an Assistant Chancellor, Director of Athletics, a Tenured Faculty member -- she was grounded in humility. No role ever too big for her, no role ever too small. Above is an example of a post-convention dinner brainstorm we shared (on a napkin, no less!). I believe we will make this happen one day, Kristina.

This October, Kristina invited me to my first College Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS), which marks the last in-person opportunity to brainstorm and strategize about the profession beside her.

On our #TeamChangetheIndustry thread, we were most recently discussing how to enhance the N4A Program Review under the direction of Dr. Joe Luckey . Our last formal meeting on this topic was Friday, November 17th. We were also working towards the Student-Athlete Development White Paper version 2.0.

And we will continue that work, always in her honor, catalyzing her legacy.

And of course, she made time just last week to mentor me through my professional trajectory. Friday night was our last text exchange where she told me I was capable of applying and being selected for the PDI Executive Track. I didn't know it would be our last. In true Kristina form, she was always pushing us further. At some point, we moved from professional to personal, and the conversation flowed from there.

Did I thank her enough? Did I tell her often enough how profound her impact has been on my career and life? I can only hope. Kristina's inspiration, leadership, honest feedback, love, laughter, wit, and support will be wholeheartedly missed. Today, I wonder how to continue to do the work without her.

With love and gratitude to Kristina's husband Nick, daughter Karina, family, friends, and Platteville community. Our NACDA-N4A colleagues hold you in our hearts. Memory eternal.

P.S. This is a personal story -- just one of many. I'm grateful to put pen to paper, even if it isn't perfect, as Kristina always encouraged.