SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW
Laura Cataldo, B.S. Psychology
Student Success Coach
Lehigh Carbon Community College
In your time since your LB coaching training experience, how has coaching influenced you and your work as an educator?
My LifeBound Coaching has impacted my work by creating awareness that I didn’t know I had. I realized that listening is better than talking. Of course, a coach needs to speak but asking the right coaching questions that genuinely opens up the door for student success. I refer to the Powerful Coaching Questions to get to the nitty-gritty of why things haven’t worked out for the student so far. From there, the student starts to come up with their self-awareness and realizes what they need to do to be successful in their college career. I consider myself there for the ride. I like when the student reaches their “Aha Moment.” That's when I know the student is on their way to a productive future and they are ready to blossom.
How has coaching knitted a positive fabric in your department?
Coaching has embraced much positivity within the Lehigh Carbon Community College institution by promoting an overall feeling of “Care” for the students. Our students know that we value them and we are here to support them. All they have to do is reach out, and many of the students in my caseload that I work with are aware of this and have said again and again, “thank you” for your continued support, concern, and for contacting me.
How have you set up a campus-wide culture of coaching, and what effects is it having on your students and faculty?
For one thing, the students know we are here to help and that we really care about their educational outcomes here at LCCC. Another positive effect coaching has on campus is we work together as a team. The faculty knows the coaches are here to assist them in getting in touch with their students to give them a little nudge to hand in that paper or complete those math assignments. We, as coaches, have built relationships and will continue to build bonds not only with our students but with staff members and faculty.
In this time of systemic racism, how can LB coaching be a tool to build equity, unite citizens, and restore democracy?
LB coaching has instilled a partnership with the other institutions that have gone through the coaching training. It has allowed me to see how the different schools conduct their coaching and what obstacles they face in challenging times. Respecting our colleagues and listening to their barriers helps me to feel empowered and become more knowledgeable in this area. Respect is vital, and with that, we can be united as “One.”
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