RAW TALK PODCAST
Where do I thrive the most? By Vaidhehi Veena Sanmugananthan & Noor al Kaabi
“
W
here do I thrive the most?” a simple question that has been on my mind lately. One accompanied by others, who am I? What sorts of things do I value? What sorts of places set me up for success? It would be easy if every scenario I faced met my expectations for the ideal place to thrive in, but that isn’t necessarily the case. As a graduate student, I’m constantly pushed to thrive and succeed but am equally set up to be challenged and question my place in academia. I know I’m not alone in this train of thought. In episode #103 of Raw Talk Podcast: Raw Talk Roundtables: Underrepresentation in STEM, our guests discussed some of the challenges students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) face in their environments, such as lack of representation, community, isolation, imposter syndrome, and many other topics. Our team was asked to think about where we felt we thrived the most. Here’s what they had to say:
“I thrive the most when I feel like I can speak my mind. When I’m in spaces where I feel like I have to think too much about how other people perceive me, I never get my ideas across as I want them to... I’m a bit more cautious with the language that I use. But… when there’s people around me that make me feel like I can have a conversation about whatever comes to mind… I can truly be myself.” ~ Noor Al Kaabi 40 | IMS MAGAZINE SPRING 2022 PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
Often many of us attribute the inability to speak our minds in certain situations to our lack of capabilities. In the world of STEM, this is seen as a reflection of the Imposter Phenomenon. The Imposter Phenomenon or Imposter Syndrome is associated with feelings of self-doubt, fraudulence and personal incompetence and can contribute to hesitancy in voicing our opinions in specific environments. I never liked the term “Imposter Syndrome” as it makes it sound like there is something innately wrong with you. Noor’s statement, however, is a good reminder of the often-neglected reality that external factors can just as equally contribute to our inability to express ourselves. As much as we may feel accountable, the people around us could also contribute to this challenge. As Noor mentions, the people and space around her contribute to when she feels like she can truly be herself. In the context of underrepresentation in STEM, it is important to consider how we can ensure that people from underrepresented groups are in environments where their ideas are valued.
“I thrive the most in environments that support learning. I love being able to learn new things… and I love when making a mistake is not the end of the world… being able to like trial and error and just learn new things, without the pressure of… getting it right all the time.”
It’s hard to believe that being in an environment where you can make mistakes can be valuable. Intuitively making mistakes seems like a negative experience, however these experiences allow you to learn and grow. With that being said, it is not always easy to see things this way. On the episode, Mohsen Poorganji, the president of the International Students Group at the Institute of Medical Science shared some of the challenges that international students face when coming to study in a new country. “They are at the disadvantage of not knowing the culture around here. I’m talking about both academy culture…[and] culture at the society level.” In fast paced and highly competitive environments like STEM, many international students have to face a cultural change and/or language barrier, all while trying to succeed in their fields. I can only imagine that these situations make for little room to struggle when you are also in a field that is highly demanding. This urges me to think about whether institutions or workforces in STEM provide proper accommodation to support the learning of international students. It makes me wonder, how do we create environments where people have equal opportunity to make mistakes comfortably?
~ Atefeh Mohammadi Graphic design by Sherry An
