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What if feeling like an imposter was not a negative thing? In episode 59 of the HigherEdJobs podcast, RJ Jenkins talked about imposter syndrome or what he prefers to describe as imposter feelings or a phenomenon.
Jenkins is the director of education at the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration. He was also the recipient of the 2023 HigherEdMilitary Spotlight Award.
Typically, imposter syndrome is described as self-doubt among high-achieving individuals who overlook their accomplishments. It’s common in academia, with some estimates showing that nearly 70% of academic professionals will experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers.
Jenkins said that when he’s experienced imposter feelings, he pushed himself outside his comfort zone, tried something new, and took a risk. “And that has been the hallmark of my experience with imposter phenomenon, even today,” he said.
In the episode, Jenkins described feeling like an imposter on day one at Columbia University in New York City. He arrived as a first-year student in 1999, and the first person he met was a young woman named Ariana.
“We were waiting in front of the elevators and in the process of bringing our things up to our dorm rooms,” he explained. “In the interest of polite conversation, she asked me what I had done with my summer.”
Jenkins told her that he had spent the summer caring for his younger sister — who has special needs — so that both of his parents could work full time.
In return, Ariana said she had spent her summer traveling southeast Asia as a classically trained oboe player with the New York International Youth Philharmonic.
“It was at that moment, about 17 seconds into my college career, that I felt like a total and complete fake,” said Jenkins. He wasn’t even sure he knew what a philharmonic was.
Jenkins said that Ariana wasn’t bragging or flexing on him.
“All she was doing was describing her experience, but her experience was so foreign to me,” he said.
It felt so special, Jenkins said. It felt sophisticated and worldly, and it made him feel that he did not belong where he was, at Columbia University.
Viewing Imposter Feelings as an ‘Encounter with Difference’
In the podcast episode, Jenkins also shared advice for higher ed professionals so they can better support students and staff.”One of the things I talk about with my students all the time is this was an encounter with difference,” he explained. Looking back on that moment, Jenkins now suspects that Ariana may have experienced an imposter feeling as well.
“We were both encountering difference, which, by the way, is central to the mission of most colleges and universities,” he said.
Jenkins said to move the needle on imposter feelings, educators and professionals need to remove the stigma similar to what’s happened with mental health in higher education.
“I see more students proactively seeking help for a variety of issues, whether it’s wellness help or academic support,” he said.
Let’s change the way we talk about feeling like an imposter, Jenkins added. Build capacity for people to understand this new way of thinking about it. And then, while it sounds simple, let’s talk about it.
Modeling vulnerability around imposter feelings is transformational for students.
When the instructor or administrator admits that they struggle with imposter feelings, that builds and curates your power and credibility, Jenkins said.
“If more of us can get real with our students about these topics, I think we can start to see a real transformation around outcomes,” Jenkins said.
Learn more in “How To Be An Imposter,” a TEDx talk from Jenkins from 2023.
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