Imposter Syndrome is the self-doubt experienced in a classroom setting (or a work setting) which leads us to question our intellectual abilities or skill set. It’s that voice that creeps in and tells you “I’ll never get that award” or “I’ll never be able to learn this material.” Despite having good grades in all other classes except math, I struggled throughout adolescence and my first year of adulthood with feelings of being inadequate. On the bright side, though, this experience is what made me passionate about mentoring others and helping them realize their goals and potential.
In 2015, I was awarded a Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Costa Rica to learn Spanish for a year. Receiving a “prestigious award” such as that was a first for me. Up until that point in my life, I did not know that someone like me–a normal person who did not have fancy accomplishments to their name–could achieve big things. It caused me to deeply reflect on how Imposter Syndrome was a barrier for students who wanted to study abroad but did not feel adequate enough to apply for scholarships. Beyond the cultural and linguistic enrichment the Gilman Scholarship had on my life, I wanted to support other students from diverse backgrounds in helping them realize their study-abroad goals. Years later, my mission remains true with the Fulbright Program.
I graduated with my Master’s of Public Health from UTHealth Houston Science Center in 2022 and immediately matriculated into a pre-medical program at Baylor College of Medicine and finished a graduate certificate in Biomedical Sciences and Health Equity. At the present moment, as you already know, I am completing a Fulbright ETA grant in Colombia.
