Benak hopes to bring inspiration to many students through her love and encouragement. photo by Evelyn Jackson
An in-depth look at Thomas Jefferson’s Sociology teacher and Speech and Debate coach.
Nicole Benak is a teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School who teaches Sociology 101 through Western University and is the school’s Speech and Debate coach. Benak taught at various elementary schools for a long time before moving on to teach at the University of Phoenix and Argosy University, and eventually landing at TJ. Benak obtained her Bachelor’s of Education at Northern Arizona University, went to the University of London for her Master’s in Social Justice and Education, and finally got her PhD at Capella University. Benak came to TJ through her friend Samanda Davis, one of TJ’s social workers. Benak and Davis have been friends since their early teens, and TJ has often been in conversation between the two, so Benak had known of TJ for quite some time. When a new opportunity at TJ arose in the form of a concurrent enrollment class, Benak decided to apply. She was hired and now happily teaches Sociology.
Benak loves seeing her impact on students through her teaching. She loves to see students “see themselves in a new way and find success.” Earlier in her career, Benak taught young children in elementary schools. Benak “thought that was gonna be [her] love forever.” When she went to teach high school, however, she found that seeing students find who they are and accomplish their goals was a “cool period of time.” High school has continued to be a high point in Benak’s teaching career, and seeing people grow and change has in turn changed Benak’s perspective on teaching.
Benak believes her greatest strength is being able to connect with and relate to people. Benak is “a great delegator,” so she is able to find the gifts within people and give them resources to do their very best. Benak loves to stay positive and build people up, and her sociology background has helped her to keep a positive environment. Benak finds the ways that people act in “both direct and indirect ways” interesting. Additionally, coaching Speech and Debate has contributed to her ability to connect with people and cheer them on. Benak has been a coach for three years and throughout that time has continued to connect with her students.
Benak’s greatest strength closely relates to the most rewarding part of her work. Seeing people’s moods shift in Benak’s class or through her coaching is rewarding to her. When Benak sees a high achiever succeeding in class, she feels that it is “just so impressive how much talent and drive and ambition so many kids have.” Building relationships and bonds between herself and her students is one of the best parts of Benak’s job. She is able to connect with both her Sociology students and her Speech and Debate students very effectively. No matter the student, Benak is very capable of building strong relationships with many people.
When Benak arrived at TJ, she discovered the magic of the school. Benak has seen many different “ethnicities and diverse populations” working together and creating a natural setting. As the relationship between Benak and the TJ community has grown, she has developed a new “belief [in] equity and inclusion and in just making personal connections.” This increase in inclusion has instilled a belief in Benak that her connections are helping her students to go further in the world.
Benak loves sociology because of its ability to show how society has shaped the world. Benak says that “the way we think and believe” has shaped us no matter what. She has become a favorite of many students at TJ because of her kindness and compassion for others. Benak hopes to inspire many people at TJ. By building relationships with students, she shows them that their paths are bright and they should look towards the future.
