[1:00-2:00PM] Alumni Panel Speakers: To be announced...

One of UMBC McNair's core values is community because we acknowledge the importance of consistent support in an individual's graduate pursuits. In recent years, our program has adopted a holistic critical mentoring framework to center student-mentees' experiences in higher education. Now, our alumni in various stages of their lives - from master's and industry to those in PhD programs right after their undergraduate career - return to share their wisdom with new McNair scholars of this cohort and the larger UMBC student community.

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This workshop takes a different approach to the conversation about “imposter syndrome.” Instead of putting the burden of imposter syndrome on the students experiencing self-doubts, attention is focused on the messaging and real-life evidence that creates these fears and doubts. Students are taught to reframe their status as an imposter into one of an infiltrator, this acknowledges the fact that academic spaces were not built to include them and as a result they will face extra skepticism, struggle and arbitrary barriers which in turn allows students to attribute these experiences of difference to a fault of the institution instead of themselves.  Students are then taught to use a growth mindset to reframe the five types of imposter syndrome and shift the internal narrative away from one of fear of failure to one of an expectation to learn through overcoming challenges and making reasonable mistakes.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact our program at mcnairs@umbc.edu and we will respond within 3 business days.

If you are interested in joining the McNair community, please refer to our website for more information. Our friend (affiliate) application is open throughout the academic year. Current applicants to the Scholars Program are encouraged to attend McNair events throughout the Spring semester.