By Lakshanyaa Ganesh

Many of us have probably felt imposter syndrome at one point or another — the guilt, the sinking feeling, the bitter aftertaste that we try to push away after receiving praise for our accomplishments. The term was first coined by psychologists in 1978, and according to a 2011 study called “the Imposter Phenomenon” and led by researchers Jaruwan Sakulku and James Alexander approximately 70% of the world has felt the negative consequences of this syndrome at some point. We may feel as though we’re frauds or not good enough to live up to other people’s expectations, yet these feelings are almost always not rooted in fact.

The study also notes that those more likely to feel imposter syndrome are minorities, most of whom are women and people of color. Throughout history, white supremacy and racism have been prominent trends permeating different societies. Systematic racial oppression has led to many people of color having to fight past barriers put in place due to their race. According to Rosanna Durruthy, the head of global diversity, inclusion and belonging at LinkedIn, as a minority, you can begin to dismiss your own perspective, credibility and authority when you’re alone.

The same applies for many women. Historically, women have been denied equal pay and treatment, and haven’t been rising to prominent leadership positions until very recently. Even when they do climb the ranks, they oftentimes are treated poorly and have to fight in order to be treated as equals and be taken seriously.

Imposter syndrome is prevalent at MVHS, with 66% of students out of a survey of 344 students feeling its effects at some point. Yet the lens through which it perpetuates MVHS culture and affects students is a little different. Many students are interested in and want to pursue different Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields, and 95% of 352 students believe that MVHS is a very STEM oriented school. With a large portion of accelerated classes being STEM oriented, feelings of imposter syndrome run rampant.

Although many students are genuinely interested in STEM subjects, the stereotype of Asians studying STEM is perpetuated by the model minority myth. According to FUHSD, MVHS is 79% Asian. The model minority myth can be defined, according to reporter Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn for Teaching Tolerance, as the expectation of Asian Americans to be high flying and academically successful in all situations. At MVHS, 66% of 344 students, and this myth goes hand in hand with imposter syndrome as well.

Many of these Asian students who are passionate about the STEM field may feel an internal struggle to reconcile their accomplishments with the model minority myth; they may feel as though their STEM passions may be undermined by the belief that they may be perpetuating the negative effects of the myth.

These same trends are evident in terms of gender at MVHS. According to the National Science Foundation, women make up 43% of the U.S. workforce for scientists and engineers under 75 years old. In many higher level STEM classes at MVHS, there is a large disparity in the number of girls versus boys. For instance, in Jim Birdsong’s AP Physics C classes for the 2018-19 school year, the ratios of boys to girls were 27:8, 25:7, and 29:7 across three periods.

According to Clare Josa, a leadership consultant and author of “Ditching Imposter Syndrome,” women are more afraid to step forward in many STEM or business fields because they are afraid of being “found out” as a fraud.

This isn’t to say that a large STEM focus is a bad thing, but it does contribute to perpetuating imposter syndrome for those who don’t feel like their passions are aligned with STEM oriented fields. Those uninterested in STEM careers may feel imposter syndrome because they don’t think they fit in in comparison with everyone else.

At the end of the day, however, we are all more likely than not to fall victim to the negative consequences of imposter syndrome. These feelings of guilt and unworthiness may be incredibly isolating, and may be further perpetuated by race and gender implications. It’s important to remember, however, that we are not alone in feeling this way, and these beliefs more often than not rooted in falsity. The web of complexities and nuances that come with imposter syndrome may be incredibly hard to untangle, but that’s what makes us multi-faceted human beings. As long as we don’t succumb to the immense pressures that come with it, we can eventually learn to recognize our own worth.