Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: How This First-Generation College Student and Single Mom Found Confidence and Purpose Through a Master in Health Administration

Embracing Her Background

Though Gonzalez struggled with imposter syndrome, being seen and supported by faculty helped her value her individual voice.

"When I started the program, I felt unprepared," she says. "Most of my peers were either nurses or orthopedic surgeons, so I didn't know as much about healthcare as they did. I remember telling one of my professors that I was really intimidated."

But before long, with that professor's assurance and encouragement, Gonzalez was able to view her unique background as a benefit rather than a burden. "Nobody else in the course was operating in the social work world," she recalls. "I was able to show them a different side of healthcare, how it overlaps with human services."

Gonzalez's personal experience proved useful, too-especially during a public health unit on Medicaid. "I really understood it, since I'd gone through the Medicaid application process before," she says. "I knew about all the pain points, since I had lived through them."

"I Was Afraid of Failure"

When reflecting on her full MHA@GW journey, Gonzalez always returns to one event in particular: graduation day.

For two years, she had kept the program a total secret from her family in Colorado. "I never told anyone that I was pursuing my master's, in case I didn't follow through," she shares. "I was afraid of failure."

But after successfully completing all of her courses in May 2019, Gonzalez knew it was finally time for the big reveal-so she started planning. "I told my parents, 'Let's go to Washington D.C., and explore,'" recalls Gonzalez, smiling at the memory. "And that's all I said."

While eating lunch in the nation's capital a few hours before the ceremony, Gonzalez finally explained what was really going on. "I said, 'Mom and Dad, the actual reason why we're in D.C. is because we're going to my master's graduation.' My father immediately took his glasses off and started tearing up in the restaurant. I'd never seen him cry before. It was such a powerful, tender moment."

After two long years, her secret was out-and Gonzalez's family was in the perfect place to celebrate. "My parents came to America with nothing, so having my graduation in D.C. at the Washington Monument was really symbolic," says Gonzalez. "To them, it's like the American Dream. I know it may sound cliché, but it's true. Everyone was so proud of me. It was an amazing feeling."