Challenging Impostor Syndrome
UVA is full of brilliant, talented people. Do you ever wonder if you fit here? Have you ever worried that people will find out that you’re not actually smart or gifted enough to be here? You are not alone. Impostor Syndrome is very common--especially among high-achieving people. In this interactive Hoos Well reward-eligible session, we will explore where these internal messages of impostor syndrome might come from and strategies to counter them so that you can embrace a sense of belonging and confidence at UVA.
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn to:
- Notice and challenge thoughts associated with Impostor Syndrome
- Connect with others who have similar thought patterns and feelings
- Recognize the cultural factors that influence Impostor Syndrome and challenge them in community
About Your Presenter
Jennie S. Knight, Ph. D. serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Faculty Wellbeing and Development and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development, where she develops, leads, and oversees programs to empower faculty from across UVA to thrive at all stages of their careers. She directs the Leadership in Academic Matters Program, provides one-on-one coaching to faculty about leadership challenges and other career related concerns, and collaborates with leaders from across the University to create healthy, supportive work environments for all faculty. She teaches regularly in the Youth and Social Innovation program in the School of Education and Human Development.
Before coming to UVA in 2017, she served as Director of Engaged Teaching and the Director of the Principled Problem Solving Scholars Program in the Center for Principled Problem Solving at Guilford College and as Director of Religious Education/Assistant Professor in the Practices of Religious Education and Community Ministries at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching are in the areas of Religion and Education, Moral Development, Community Engaged Teaching, Research, and Problem Solving, and Moral Leadership. She is the author of Feminist Mysticism and Images of God: A Practical Theology (Chalice Press, 2011) and co-author of Engaged Teaching in Theology and Religion with Renee K. Harrison, Ph.D. (Palgrave, 2015), as well as multiple articles and chapters about transformative education for moral development. She earned her Ph. D. in Religion and Education and Women’s Studies from Emory University, an M.Div. from the Claremont School of Theology, and her B.A. from Williams College.