Her Story
About Natasha
My career has been a journey of supporting families and children from different angles. I originally trained as a speech therapist, and it's weird how life takes you in all these different directions, but my focus has always been on support, families, and kids. I taught English overseas as a second language, then moved to the States where I worked as a Young Lives coordinator - a ministry program working with teenage mothers. When I heard about the opportunity to do home visiting and coaching, I jumped at it. Now I'm a Safe Care Coach for Family Services at the Children's Advocacy Center of Greater West Texas. My main area of expertise is really support - focusing on growth for my coworkers and for the families I work with. I go into families' homes and teach parenting classes with them, and I also coach my coworkers who do the same work. They record their sessions, and I listen to them and give feedback. We problem-solve together to see how we can make the program most effective for families. It's a lot of supporting, coaching, and teaching throughout my career. When you're working with families, you're building on their strengths - we talk about what it means to live well, how to prevent illness or injuries to children, thinking about the input, what they're eating, how they're interacting, and how they're moving.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Natasha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to faith - faith is part of everything I do. And I guess it's kind of the quiet perseverance, too. Just keeping going, staying patient, and being open to different opportunities. It's never too late to pursue dreams and to be open to different opportunities. My faith guides me, and that quiet perseverance keeps me moving forward, all for the benefit of others.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that it's never too late. It's never too late to pursue dreams and to be open to different opportunities. I think that's so important because so many people are so steadfast in staying in their lane that they don't let themselves understand that there are other opportunities out there. Being open to those possibilities has really shaped my journey.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would honestly say, because I remember being a young woman - it's a little while now - but I feel like I knew everything when I was younger. I guess the advice is being open to learn, and being open to take feedback and direction. I think that's really going to help somebody entering in a field where you may be prone to discouragement. Just being open to looking after yourself, and doing what's good for you, and for those around you as well. Stay humble, stay teachable, and take care of yourself in the process.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is having consistency when you're trying to support messy lives. You make those connections with the families, and then the families fall away, or something happens. It's difficult when you have messy lives that you're trying to support. You build these relationships and invest in these families, and then circumstances change and they're gone. That inconsistency is really hard to navigate, but it's part of the reality of working with families who are dealing with so much.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honestly, patience. Just being patient. Being patient with families, being open-minded, and optimistic and compassionate. Compassion is huge - it's something I think we're devoid of as a society these days. These values guide everything I do, both in my work with families and in my personal life. When I think about some of the places I've been during the day, I definitely snuggle my babies pretty tight. That patience and compassion help me show up for the families I serve and for my own family.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Texas
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.