LEE Members Jasmine Bowles, Mikayla Arciaga, and Deborah Euzebio share their personal experiences working to overcome imposter syndrome and stepping up as a leader despite self doubt. Review their tips for working through imposter syndrome.
The three policy leaders featured in our “Working for an Elected Leader and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” led a frank conversation around personal struggles with self doubt and how they’ve worked to overcome these feelings. Each leader shared how they’ve built their skills and confidence while working for elected leaders.
Deborah Euzebio, an alumna of the Policy Advisor Fellowship and current Maryland State Education Association employee, shared that imposter syndrome “doesn’t ever go away.”
Deborah noted, “Just questioning yourself doesn’t mean you are where you shouldn’t be.” She credits many of the fellowships and opportunities created by LEE in helping her build the confidence and self-assurance that she could be an impactful policy leader.
Mikayla Arciaga, an alumna of the Policy Advisor Fellowship who currently works for the Urban League of Greater Atlanta and Families First, noted that “everytime you are going to move into a new space, you are going to feel that you might not fit there or you are not supposed to be there.”
To overcome feelings of self-doubt, Mikayla said that she lists all of her tangible skills out. She admitted, “Just looking at this list everyday helps me root my goals and my plans in something that is true and real.”
“Actual impostures don’t get the syndrome,” Jasmine Bowles, a current board member on the Clayton County Board of Education and Vice President of Strategy and Operations for School Board Partners, shared. “If you are someone who questions yourself and your commitment that is called being self reflective...more importantly that is called humility.”
As the youngest person on the Clayton County School Board, Jasmine knows feelings of self-doubt continue to show up across her identity and she continues to challenge and work through those feelings to make an impact as an elected leader.
The panelists reflected on the skills and experiences they gained from working for elected leaders. Deborah recounted, “Being part of the process, building bill language and coalitions, helped me understand how everything came together at a higher level.”
MikayIa shared that her favorite part about policy and advocacy work is “being able to try on different things.” She also appreciated the close proximity that she had to leadership and that she could “hold my board members accountable and hold my elected officials accountable.”
If you are interested in gaining direct policy or advocacy experience or want to work for an elected leader, like the three panelists from our workshop, LEE has an opportunity for you. Check out LEE's three paid fellowships:
- Policy Advisor Fellowship: part-time, 10 hours a week
- Policy & Advocacy Summer Fellowship: full-time, eight weeks in the summer
- Public Policy Fellowship: full-time, 10 months
We hope you join an upcoming workshop soon! Stay up-to-date on LEE workshops by logging into your LEE member account and navigating to National Workshops.
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