“Impostor Syndrome? What’s that?”

I remember the day I won the regional science fair.
There were balloons, people clapping, my name echoing through the speakers. Everyone seemed so excited—except me.

I stood there with this shiny certificate in my hand, and all I could think was, There’s no way this is real. They must’ve messed up.

It wasn’t the first time I’d felt that way. Every time something went well—a good grade, a compliment, getting picked for something—I’d get this weird mix of panic and guilt. Like I had fooled everyone. Like they thought I was smarter or more talented than I really was, and one day they’d find out the truth.

I didn’t know there was a name for it. Not until I looked it up late one night: “Why do I feel like a fake even when I do well?”

Turns out, I wasn’t the only one.

It’s called impostor syndrome. It’s when you doubt your accomplishments and worry that other people have totally overestimated you. Even when there’s proof you’ve worked hard or done something meaningful, your brain tells you it’s just luck. Or timing. Or a glitch.

For me, it felt like carrying a secret. I didn’t want to talk about it because I was afraid people would agree with that little voice in my head. But staying quiet just made it worse.

So I finally opened up to a friend.

We were sitting on the bleachers after tennis practice and I said, kind of jokingly, “I feel like someone else should’ve won that science thing. I just threw it together.” I expected her to laugh or say, “Yeah, maybe.” But instead, she said, “I literally feel like that every time I turn in an essay.”

That moment helped me breathe again. It was like realizing I wasn’t the only one carrying this weird weight.

Since then, I’ve been working on changing how I talk to myself.

Instead of brushing off a win, I try to pause and just say, “That felt good.” Even if I still feel awkward, I let the good part exist too.

And when that voice shows up—you know, the one that says “You’re not good enough” or “You just got lucky”—I remind myself: that voice doesn’t get the final say.

Here’s the thing no one really tells you: feeling like an impostor doesn’t mean you are one. It just means you’re growing. You’re stepping into new things. And yeah, it might feel shaky. But that’s what courage looks like.

If you’ve ever felt this way, just know you’re not alone.
You’re not faking it.
You’re learning.
You’re showing up.
And that counts for more than you think

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