The Hewitt Times

On Thursday, October 20, Research Scholar-in-Residence Rachel Simmons led a powerful discussion about ‘Imposter Phenomenon’ with the Upper School Community. She defined this term as a feeling of self-doubt in people who are a part of a minoritized group. They believe their achievements are merely because of luck and that they are frauds to their peers

But what are some examples of specific “insecurities” that can be a source of this feeling of not belonging? Ms. Simmons made it clear to us that Imposter Phenomenon can be experienced over a variety of things. Socio-economic status can play a major role in this feeling. Ms. Simmons stated that “feelings of impostorism can range from worry about not being smart enough to not being wealthy enough…some students may worry that they can’t keep pace with their friends when it comes to what they wear, where they go on vacation, or even what they do on the weekends.”

She then went on to explain  that because the majority of Hewitt students come from privileged backgrounds, Imposter Phenomenon in the Upper School could mainly be because of self-worth, or a lack thereof. Also, a lot of students’ anxiety about their identity comes from comparing themselves to their peers. When a student begins to feel like they are not as good as the people around them, they do not want that feeling of not belonging to be exposed. This is when Imposter Phenomenon is at its peak in that student. As this continues to happen in an individual, this will slowly bring down the Upper School community as a whole.

How can we as individuals help resolve the issue throughout the whole community and raise up and encourage the Upper School students? Ms. Simmons believes that there are some options to get rid of the feeling of impostorism. She explained that keeping this feeling to yourself and believing that you are alone will only further your discouragement. This feeling, she said, “can increase your fear of sharing what’s happening with others, and elevate feelings of anxiety and shame”. Instead, she suggests that you find someone that you trust deeply, tell them what is going on, and most importantly, let them help you. Ms. Simmons also addressed the issue of feeling as if you don’t belong in the Hewitt community. Her strategy to combat this was to “stick with the evidence of what you know”. Remind yourself of your success, times you rose up to the demands of others, and that nobody is perfect.

“You wouldn’t be in the Hewitt community if you didn’t belong here”.

This statement speaks to all upper school students because if you feel like you don’t fit it or you don’t belong at Hewitt, know that you do belong here and that you are part of this community. As Eryn Gautier. ‘18 says, “I’m always hearing girls put themselves down about their classes and grades. Bringing attention to when we do [this] can give us the opportunity to change our reactions to things we’d usually feel bad about”. Every single person in the community plays a specific role and it would not be the same without that person. If you’re feeling like you don’t belong, Ms. Simmons encourages us to go find the people that we trust, talk to them and use these tips, ideas, and tools to use to overcome this feeling and to grow stronger because of it.