Today we’d like to introduce you to Claudia Isela Macias, MS Ed.
Hi Claudia Isela, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Doing it even though you are scared, doubtful, and feel as if you are not enough.
That is what has gotten me to where I’m at. Did I always have those thoughts? No. As a 5 or 6 year old my list of what I wanted to be when I grew up included being the first girl in the Latin boy band Menudo, a pediatrician, a teacher, and a T.V. news reporter. Along the way, not sure how, I absorbed visuals and words that made me think I wasn’t enough which in turn made me fearful of trying. Now looking back, I realized I had developed imposter syndrome at a very young age.
My parents, especially my dad, who was super supportive of my education journey, would take my brother and I to visit college campuses, drive through the “nice neighborhoods” to see the beautiful homes, took us to museums, festivals, events (especially if they were free) to see life outside of our community. He encouraged reading, inquiry, and traveling. This was the part that built my resilience. This inner voice that said try even though I was scared and doubtful of myself, was built by my parents, especially my dad. This is what got me to where I am today, Assistant Director of Brain Builders with The Hackett Center for Mental Health and show host of La Super Comadre Claudia Show and podcast.
Along the way my inner voice and resilience has been guided and supported by notable people that came into my life. Along the way as I heard “no, you are not ready….what makes you think you can do this…go back and get more experience…” I stood my little ground and followed up with “ok, here is my resume, or where do I sign up, or let me look for someone who will give me that opportunity.”
Mr. Arenas, may he rest in peace, was a dynamic educator and school administrator. I made him my mentor when I needed one as a second year teacher. And let’s go back three years before we met. As I neared the end of my undergrad coursework at the University of Houston, where I majored in education, I was selected to skip student teaching to teach in Pasadena ISD. There was a high need for bilingual teachers and 5 of us were selected to begin teaching before graduating. I was interviewed and offered the position and I said “yes.” A couple of days later I thought to myself, what did I get myself into, this is crazy, why did I say yes, they are crazy! I honored my inner voice and calmed it down, and told myself if they saw something in me, then I got this. Was it challenging? Yes. Did I learn along the way? Yes. Did I feel that I should have said no and chosen student teaching? At times.
A year later I found myself accompanying a teacher friend on her interview with Galena Park ISD, for moral support. How did I walk in as a support and leave with a job offer? Well, I did. I then continued my teaching career in GPISD where I met Mr. Arenas. I needed a mentor, one wasn’t assigned. In the absence of one, I selected my own. I chose Mr. Arenas by asking him if I could watch him teach during my planning period. Why him, because I saw how much fun he and his students were having learning, because I saw the accolades they were receiving, and I also noted how many leadership positions he had on campus. I then told him he was my mentor, he laughed and accepted being “volen-told.” I once shared with Mr. Arenas that I wanted to be included for leadership opportunities on our campus, attend the professional development trips to conferences, and that I had plans to attend grad school and become an administrator. I asked him, how did he get so connected and “in the loop?” His words, “Macias, you need to put yourself out there.” He showed me the ropes of networking and asking for what you want. This was foreign to me, all of my life I heard that if you worked hard, put your head down, kept quiet, and not make a fuss, you would be chosen. I quickly learned that that is not the case.
Fast forward a few years into my graduate program for school administration. During the first semester one of our professors assigned us to go out and interview for assistant principal roles for practice. I dropped off my resume at the district HR office, my resume was quickly reviewed (as in they looked only at my experience) and was immediately told to not waste my time leaving it. I didn’t have experience in the upper grades, the standardized testing grades. I was told to go and teach those grades and then come back. I said, “ok, but in the meantime I’m leaving my resume in the basket.” I just dated myself, paper resume dropped off in a basket. Low and behold I was interviewed by three elementary schools who were seeking an assistant principal, and guess what? You got it, I was offered the position of assistant principal of grades prekindergarten through second grades. I listened to my inner voice, “just leave the resume,” and besides, it was a class assignment. Once again I said yes before graduating with my master’s degree.
Three years later I was recruited to be a part of KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) schools as member of the founding staff of their first elementary school in the nation. I was then recruited and selected to open up the second KIPP elementary school. Everyone thought I was crazy for leaving an exemplary and established school district. My principal, Mrs. Garza, the one who took a leap of faith and hired me as her assistant principal, was preparing me to step into her role once she retired. I shared my KIPP opportunity and with her blessing I accepted it. I was put through the wringer, trained, and professionally developed like nobody’s business. This is another moment in my journey where I received, or was “gifted” some words that to this day I use and share. During one of our school leader training exercises we received one on one feedback on how to prepare and present at a school board meeting. During the practice, Dr. Linda Belens, one of our school leadership guides, took me aside to practice. I was ready to go when called, or so I thought.
My turn came up, we were presenting to a mock board, but my nerves were still on fire. I was called into a college class auditorium at UC Berkley. On the stage was the “board” and I felt 2 feet tall in front of them. I was welcomed and I began. “Hello my name is ‘Claw – dee – ya Maw-see-us…. and…” Dr. Belens shouted, “stop right there!” I froze, oh sh!t? What did I do? “Meet me out in the lobby!” she exclaimed. I quickly gathered my nerves and made my way out the auditorium. I was met with, “who are you?” by Dr. Belens. I stuttered and tried to answer, not sure what was going on. She then said, “when we practiced you introduced yourself as Claudia Macias (in Spanish pronunciation) and when you introduced yourself you became Claudia Macias (English pronunciation). She continued, “who are you?” “Never leave Claudia (Spanish pronunciation) at the door. If that is who you are, then own it, because you never want to leave behind who you are and what you bring.”
Networking. Telling people what you want. Putting yourself out there. Never leaving who you are at the door. Mentorship. All of those actions have opened doors, have created doors, and have connected me to my dreams and goals. I didn’t get the chance to audition for Menudo, but I did sing in a band during college. I didn’t become a TV news anchor, but I do have an online radio show and podcast. I didn’t become a pediatrician (I quickly discovered that blood and guts weren’t my thing), but I did go on to guide, inspire, and motivate children, their parents, and teaching communities as a teacher, principal, education consultant, and now as the Assistant Director of Brain Builders a program with The Hackett Center for Mental Health.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Chinese Proverb
I remember seeing this motivational poster on a wall. This quote has helped me along my journey and the road has been bumpy and smooth.
I began school as a Spanish speaker in 1979. It was challenging but it grew my resilience. Here is my story. My mom, Carmen, came to the states from Matehuala, San Luis Potosi, Mexico as a 4 year old. My dad, Pedro, was born on this side of the border in Mercedes, Texas during one of the many times my grandparents, aunts and uncles came to pick the crops. Their home base was Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. When my dad turned 7, my grandmother packed him up and sent him off to live with his older brothers who had returned to the states to live and work the American Dream in Houston, Texas. My dad quickly learned the language, his second grade teacher took him under her wing and got him up to speed. My parents met, courted for 10 years, finally married and they had me and three years later my younger brother Eddie. For four years they brought me up in Spanish so naturally that’s what I went into the school system with. My mom recently shared that I was eager to go to school. I would stand on a chair and look out the window, watching the kids go by. This excited me and my mom explained, in Spanish, that they were on their way to school. She said I would grab some books and magazines and try to make my way out the house to follow them. That excitement changed during my initial year in formal education, kindergarten.
I was a social butterfly out of necessity or maybe I was already social and the need to ask my peers for help in Spanish amped it up more. I recall not understanding the assignments when given the big colorful workbooks. We had to use our fat pencils to circle pictures that began with the corresponding letter and I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I’d ask my Spanish speaking friends and they would help. The help stopped when they would get in trouble for talking during work time. I remember sitting on the carpet, in front of the workbook, everyone would get up with their finished pages. Finished and correct work meant going into the house center to play. There were other centers, but oh how I wanted to play in the house center (now known as the dramatic play workstation). It had a 3 to 4 foot tall wooden play kitchen set, a little crib for the baby dolls, an ironing board and iron, and a table and chair set. I remember not getting the chance to play because I didn’t finish my workbook sheet in time to get to the coveted center. I didn’t understand what was being asked of me. In hindsight I should have just circled whatever to get to the center. There were also times when I’d get put in the corner or made to stand and face the wall, the teacher would smack the back of my legs, lightly, with the yardstick for talking. I was just trying to figure out what was being asked of me. The strike didn’t hurt, but the embarrassment did.
During an open house, the teacher brought up to my mom that I was having trouble understanding. My mom pointed out that Spanish is spoken at home. The teacher was surprised that my mom was fully bilingual. The thing is that both of my parents are fully bilingual in English and Spanish, but their love language and home language was Spanish. So they adjusted and began to speak to me in English. I struggled in first and second grade with reading and writing. I remember it seemed so foreign to me. In the first grade I also recall being in a reading group named after a bird. I don’t recall the names but the groups were color coded and had the word bird in it. I was in the bird group that needed additional supports, it was probably the brown or black birds. But I wanted to go with the blue birds, they left the class excitedly.
I also recall my writing assignments. I hated getting those graded, there were so many corrections in red ink it seemed as if my teacher bled all over my work.
In the end, these challenges pushed me. And when I would second guess my thoughts on a passage or a writing assignment, I’d look for people I was comfortable with and ask for help. I carried this all the way to and through college. I even avoided taking my required English classes in undergrad until the very end of my coursework, when it was the last thing I needed to complete to graduate. These challenges built my resilience over the years. And even though I was afraid to take the class, ask for help on a writing assignment, or turn in an assignment, I still did it.
Do I still think my writing is not on par? Yes. Do I care, not as much. Do you understand my story? Yes? Well, that’s all that matters. As for reading, I think I may have had an undiagnosed reading issue. Maybe. Or, maybe it’s just that I have a bilingual brain, so I’m running at twice the power and speed and at times that means I need to read things twice or rewrite. All I can say is, thank God for AI and ChatGPT. Did I mention menopause? Well that’s another challenge. I’ll just share a bit because this may help others whether you are a female or not.
I have the BRCA 1 gene, that is the breast cancer gene. My maternal grandmother and my mom were both survivors of breast cancer. Unfortunately my grandmother ended up passing away from complications due to colon cancer that was related to her ovarian cancer which is also related to breast cancer. When I found out I had the gene I had to take measures to lower my risks of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and uterine cancer. I elected to have a full hysterectomy at the age of 42. This meant that I would go into medical menopause. I was put on a low dosage of estrogen and that kept me “normal.” I was fit, full of energy, and on top of things. Then I was nearing the stage of life when menopause typically begins, my doctors lowered and then stopped my estrogen therapy. When the estrogen was finally gone I ended up with vertigo, sciatica pains, foggy brain, disabling anxiety attacks, memory lapses, and I gained the weight I had tried hard to maintain off. My doctors treated all of my symptoms separately. Nothing was working. I was having a hard time keeping up with work, things were not making sense when people spoke to me and I was having a hard time sleeping at night. My teen girls were not doing anything different or crazy, but It was me who was overreacting to their teen shenanigans. I felt like l was losing my mind and my body. I was finally connected to a menopause specialist. It has been a year that I’ve been back on hormone replacement therapy and I feel so much better.
This challenge reminded me that even though I’m going through this natural stage, I don’t need to suffer. To reach out, ask for, advocate, and try all the remedies until the best one works. My mind is clearer. My body is, well, I need to get more active again. I don’t lose my cool (so much) when my girls test me. And I have a sweet partner that has helped me appreciate my body and what it has gone through. So, ladies, if this challenge comes up, if at all, give yourself grace. Share what you are going through. Get answers. Find what works best for you! The reason for tying menopause in is because this affected my ability to comprehend what I was reading and at times I found it difficult to write. Struggles, challenges, and obstacles are opportunities to pause, learn, pivot, adapt, and grow.
As I reflect on my journey—from that eager little girl peering out the window, to navigating language barriers, self-doubt, and even the unexpected challenges of my own body—I’m reminded that every step, no matter how uncertain, has shaped who I am today. The road will test you, stretch you, and at times slow you down, but it will also reveal your strength in ways you never imagined. What matters most is that you keep going, keep asking, keep learning, and keep honoring your story. Because in the end, it’s not about a perfect path—it’s about the courage to take that next step, again and again, and trusting that each one is leading you exactly where you’re meant to be.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love to share my stories and the stories of others. I love to uplift resources, people, organizations, and thoughts that benefit humankind.
My professional work in education and my passion for sharing experiences and uplifting others resulted in an online radio show that is live streamed, recorded, and then turned into a podcast. One of my dreams as a teen was to become a TV news anchor. I was inspired by watching the first gulf war unfold during my sophomore year in high school in 1990. How did I get inspired? I had experience on the mic as a singer and my history teacher assigned us an open ended assignment about current events. In class we debated bringing back the military draft. That in class debate became part of the assignment. A group of us staged a demonstration against bringing the draft back. Students acted as protesters and I was given the role of news anchor. We created a script, we had a videographer (someone borrowed their parent’s VHS video recorder), I borrowed a mic (that wasn’t plugged, it served as a prop), and then I “interviewed” the protestors. We did the editing and I was brought in to sing the national anthem as the credits “rolled.”
That was the spark that led me to declare early on my major in radio and television broadcasting as an entering freshman at the University of Houston. That spark, however, was extinguished by someone I dated briefly during my freshman year in university. I will keep his name out of this, but he was from the mid-west, about 6 feet tall, blond haired and blue eyed who had just returned to Houston to start up a restaurant in the museum district. Let’s call him Mr. V. Mr. V and I met at a Latin party at Cyclone Anayas. He struck up a conversation, asked for my number and then shortly after he asked me out. In one of our conversations I shared my college goals (that’s when he found out how much younger I was, he took me for a college grad or almost college grad). I excitedly shared that my major was radio and television broadcasting. As I was about to finish my thought, he cut in and shared his experience. He majored in the same thing, he said his profession took him all over the states, that it didn’t work out for him and that is was going to be much harder for me.
That extinguished my dream. I let him extinguish my dream. At that moment, without knowing, I let the man, a gringo man, tell me what was going to work for me. I’ve always been a person that, when confronted with a “no,” I’d figure it out. Did I acquiesce because he was white and all knowing? Did I acquiesce because all of my life I’ve seen leadership or talking heads that looked like him? Had I internalized those thoughts without knowing? Did I acquiesce sin saber?
Fast forward to my 42 birthday. Smartphones and social media platforms reconnected me to Liliana Elizondo who had started an online radio station. She invited me to be a part of the line up, I’d have my own hour long show on radio. I was over the moon, take that Mr. V. I said an hour was too long…what would I talk about, how would I hold an audience for that amount of time. Then it came to me at my 40th birthday.
Ok, so I didn’t celebrate my 40th birthday when I turned 40, but I celebrated it two years later. For my “40th” birthday I celebrated with a movie (we watched Bad Moms) and drinks afterwards! Before the movie, Liliana recommended that we make a circle and each of us introduce ourselves because the person everyone had in common was me. The women who came out spread across all stages of my life, from when I was in grade school, middle school, college life, post grad, and professional life. It was diverse, diverse in religion, parenting stage, married, divorced, single, culture, profession, you name it. Each one took turns, each introduced themselves and how they were connected to me. That experience led to my online radio show and podcast content, theme, and title.
Two days from that celebration I kicked off my Super Comadre Claudia Show! The mission of my show is to uplift and share super comadres and super compadres who are doing something benefitting humankind. I took the warmth and connections made that day and created a show from it. I highlight folks that have a nonprofit, a business, a service, or journey that is uplifting and knowledge sharing. I love doing this, I look forward to highlighting people from all backgrounds and giving them the space to share their story. Show topics range from education to elections, menopause (and other topics related to being a woman), to how to stay sane during the current political climate. As a host, I’m vulnerable, because right now we need to create spaces for others to open up and share their stories of success and the obstacles and challenges overcome along the way. We need spaces for humans to come together and lift each other up (and also call out when there is an injustice).
Tune in! Tuesdays! 7 – 8PM CST! www.radiocrystalusa.com!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
A year ago I gave a keynote speech to an auditorium room full of first generation college students who were on the brink of either starting an internship as part of a coursework requirement or graduating. What I shared are the actions that led to my successes in life. Today I call it Make Your Mark: The Macias (Networking) Manifesto for Beginners and Those That Want a Refresher. The title is a work in progress, I know, it’s long, and my goal is to turn this into an ebook, podcast, workshops, Ted Talk, and book. I present to you my list of networking tips based on the experiences I’ve had along my professional journey:
1. “Put yourself out there” is a quote by my mentor Mr.Arenas: As a second year teacher I choose Mr. Arena to be my mentor (without him knowing). I loved the connections he made with his students, I noted how fun he made teaching and learning look, and I saw how he was included in the staff development opportunities. He took me under his wing and he helped me become a better teacher for my students and instruction. I also asked him for the secret sauce on how could I have access to leadership opportunities on campus and attend educator conferences? The secret sauce was “Macias, put yourself out there, if they don’t know what you want, they will never offer it to you.” What!!!! All of my life I was told that hard work and keeping your nose down would lead to opportunities, that I would be chosen, selected, and or promoted. Boy was I wrong. I adjusted and the rest is history.
2. Networking: it can happen anywhere! The airport, another city, in line, or via the friend of a past boyfriend. You just never know when an opportunity may show up. My recruitment into the KIPP organization began while I waited for my Southwest flight to board out of Phoenix, Arizona. In front of me was one of the KIPP cofounders. I reintroduced myself to him, I had met the other cofounder while a freshman at University of Houston. We exchanged info and by the time my flight landed in Houston, emails were exchanged and an invitation to interview was extended. You just never know!
3. Bridges: Don’t burn them! After you leave an organization, don’t trash talk online or in person. You never know who you are talking to or who is around you. Word travels fast! After accepting my position as an assistant principal, I let my principal know. Her response was I was wasn’t ready, that I should teach a TAKS grade and reapply the following year. I thanked her for her feedback and let her know that I would be accepting the offer. For the rest of the year she would say snarky remarks in front of the staff, my colleagues. She said things that included, “there she is, the one moving one, she’s not ready.” It didn’t shake me. Years later after I accepted the opportunity to work with KIPP she congratulated me and apologized for her previous remarks. She also shared of teachers who happlied to KIPP and were turned down. She wished me well and said she was proud of me. I never spoke ill of her, it was a learning opportunity. When I became a school administrator, I always kept my door open to teachers that moved on. My role included ensuring teachers were in the right position, school, and profession.
4. Say Yes to the Position: Even if you don’t feel 100% ready, think what would a white person do (WWWPD-specifically men), and surround yourself with folks that have the knowledge or skills you don’t have, yet. I know this may sound off-putting, but this acronym comes from my living experiences and our history. Nothing wrong to go for what you want. I am all about that!
5. Use apps and sites that help keep you relevant, connected, and promotable: Linked In, Indeed, Dot Card, Hi/Hello, Blinq, QR Codes…and whatever else is out there. Use the tools to stay connected with the people you meet AND follow up!
6. The Business Card Connect: Whether Digital or Paper, the card is given after making the connection. I’m extra – I ask for a selfie picture that I send with a follow up email or text. I also use it when I save their contact info on my phone. Pictures serve as visual aids and most people love to be photographed. As for the exchange of the business card, a friend once told me, “don’t make it rain business cards.” He added not to give my card upon meeting someone new. He said to connect and then exchange cards or info at the end. It’s all about the human interaction.
7. “Never leave Claudia at the door,” a yoga warrior one pose, and “who are you?,” by the lovely Dr. Linda Belens: Linda was a mentor. I met her through my school leader academy/bootcamp. She reminded me to stay true to me. To stay true to the way I want to pronounce my name in Spanish and not change the pronunciation for others to feel comfortable. To never leave Claudia at the door because to change my pronunciation leaves behind who I am and stand for. A warrior one yoga pose: Linda showed me this pose and told me to use it to keep me grounded, to help me stay brave, and to help my nerves! “Who are you” were the first three words out of Linda’s mouth when I introduced myself with the English sounding version of my name vs the way we practiced my intro with the way I was raised, hearing my name in Spanish. She reminded me to stay authentic, true to me and to carry that into the work I do.
8. Mind Your (Social Media) Posts: A picture of you on the table partying could equal to you missing an opportunity to sit at the table. Oh, and us hiring people, we check social media. All I can say is thank God social media didn’t exist between 1992 through1997 (when I was in college).
9. Professional Headshots Please! NO BATHROOM SELFIE PICS: No matter how good the lighting is in the restroom we all recognize the bathroom tile, the stainless steel stalls, and decor. Professional pictures not in your budget? Do an exchange of services for professional headshots. Use those professional headshots for your LinkedIn profile, your professional social media, or headhunter service.
10. Yes, it’s true…promotion and opportunity is heavy on WHO you know and then WHAT you know: Now that doesn’t mean you show up a blank slate. It just means that you need to interface with humans. Know your stuff, know your areas of development, and show a desire to learn (hell these days you can AI it, Google it or Youtube it). And…don’t be afraid to promote yourself! Share your accomplishments and the challenges you overcame to get there.
11. No, you are not ready, you need more experience, come back in a year: You will hear comments like this along the way. Say thank you and leave/submit the resume anyway. A year into my master’s program, the syllabus called for us to apply for school leadership positions to practice applying and interviewing. It was my fourth year in the classroom as a teacher, I only had lower elementary grades under my belt. I had already asked my principal for a move to the upper grades to gain experience teaching a TAKS* grade. At that time that was the standard for being considered for a school administrator position. “Did you teach a TAKS grade (now it’s STAAR*)”, was the first question I was asked when I drove my resume over to the hiring office in the district I working in. When I replied no, it was met with, “don’t leave your resume, it won’t be considered because you haven’t taught a grade above second.” I said ok and I left my resume in the bin. About a week later I was called in for a handful of interviews and was offered one. One assistant principal position needed someone with my experience. Boom! *TAKS stands for Texas Assessment of Knowledge Skills and STAAR stands for State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness
12. Finally, Breathe and Be Present: Do this first for you. Breathe and be present for your needs so that you can breathe and be present for all of the dreams, goals, work plans, vision boards you create, and roles you step into. The pace, at least here in the states, is fast. Control what you can, and let go of what you can’t. Set boundaries to rest, think, nourish and hydrate yourself. Find hobbies, interact with humans in person, learn to be silent, observe, and be bored. We need healthy humans. I’m Gen X and we are getting up there in age. We need healthy folks running things after we all retire.
At the end of the day, none of these tips live in isolation—they come together to form a way of moving through the world with intention, courage, and authenticity. Networking isn’t about collecting contacts; it’s about building meaningful connections, showing up as your full self, and being bold enough to pursue what’s calling you, even when you feel unready. My journey has taught me that opportunities don’t just find you—you position yourself for them, you speak them into existence, and you walk toward them with purpose. So whether you’re just getting started or finding your next move, remember this: put yourself out there, stay true to who you are, and never underestimate the power of a single connection to change your life.
Image Credits
Chris Piñon
University of St. Thomas
Adrianna Rubio Clasen
Liliana Elizondo
Personal Collection
