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Dr. Brooke Odle

By Dr. Brooke Odle, Assistant Professor of Engineering

Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024
Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts
Holland, Michigan

Scriptures:  Judges 4:4-23 and I Kings 19:1-18

Good afternoon, President Scogin, Provost Griffin, Dean Hart, fellow colleagues, and most importantly Class of 2028. It鈥檚 a privilege to speak with you today. These past few days of new student orientation have been long and busy days. You have made a lot of adjustments in a short amount of time. You are learning to navigate a new environment. You may be experiencing a variety of emotions right now, including nervousness, tiredness, confusion, excitement, sadness, and overwhelm. You may even be thinking about your sense of belonging here at Hope. These feelings are valid, normal, and a part of your journey.

I鈥檝e noticed more students struggling with a sense of belonging and how it relates to their perception of how successful and intelligent they are here. When these feelings get the best of them, it causes them to feel like they are unprepared or not good enough. They overwork themselves to prove their worth. In some cases, they have a frequent fear that they will be exposed as a failure or a fraud. This is known as 鈥渋mpostor syndrome.鈥� But I want to tell you a secret. Those feelings experienced are very real and valid. Many of us experience them, myself included, but no one really has impostor syndrome. 

Impostor Syndrome was originally called 鈥淚mpostor Phenomenon.鈥� It was based on work that researchers conducted on high-achieving white women in college and high-level professional fields. Eventually, over time, others took the concept and rebranded it to 鈥淚mpostor Syndrome鈥�. The change in name makes it sound like it鈥檚 a medical condition. Even though men experienced these feelings, it was primarily targeted towards women. The original researchers did not mean for their work to be pathologized, meaning they didn鈥檛 want the women that they worked with to think that the feelings they were experiencing were due to their own fault 鈥� something they did. We are not the cause or the problem. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image, so we don鈥檛 need to internalize any feelings of inadequacy or failure. God has a purpose for all of us. He is a big God who calls us to do things that will stretch us and challenge us. Discomfort and doubt are natural reactions to these calls. So, what do you do when you are walking in your purpose and these feelings start to arise? 

I like to think that it comes down to this key question: Despite what is going on around you, in the moment God gives you an assignment, where is your faith placed? If you have an unshakeable faith in God that when He directs you to do something, you say 鈥淏et!鈥� and immediately move in obedience, then you鈥檙e like Deborah. She was sure of God鈥檚 purpose for her and she took action whenever he spoke to her, despite what she saw or heard going on around her. Maybe you have faith in the moment, but you need some encouragement to make your faith a little bit stronger, like Barak. That鈥檚 OK 鈥� because God will send you a 鈥淒eborah鈥�, who uses her faith in God and becomes your hype-person, empowering you and those around you to do what God called you to do. Maybe you are struggling with your faith or maybe you have no relationship with God at all; but in that moment, you take a stand and you find yourself on God鈥檚 side and fighting for His glory 鈥� like Jael. Remember, she was originally playing for the other team. But when her moment came, she did something countercultural. She took a stand and went to the battle for the Lord. Deborah, Barak, and Jael all had different levels of faith in God and all were in the same battle; and yet, He used them in unique ways to give them the victory. When the battle was over, God got the glory. On your journey at Hope, you鈥檒l experience ups and downs. That is normal and it鈥檚 part of the process. No matter where you find yourself in your faith and relationship with God, know that He will meet where you are and he will give you the victory so that he can get the glory.

Now, this isn鈥檛 the first time that something that sounds like a medical condition was primarily targeted to women. Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, shared the following with Smith College鈥檚 graduating Class of 2023: 

鈥淚n the 1890s cycling became popular in Europe and North America, especially among women. Around the time it reached its peak, doctors discovered a new medical condition that could 鈥渨reak havoc鈥� on the female body. It was called 鈥渂icycle face鈥� and its symptoms included 鈥榝lushed鈥� cheeks, 鈥榖ulging eyes,鈥� and an expression that was either anxious, irritable, or at best stony.鈥� Even though men mostly participated in cycling, bicycle face was only targeted towards women. It turns out that the bicycle was a symbol of the emerging feminist movement. Women no longer needed to wait for a man to show up on horseback and take them wherever they needed to go. Women also started to demand different clothing 鈥� they wanted bloomers instead of big hoop skirts so that it would be easier for them to get around. To many men at that time, bicycles and the behaviors that they enabled in women were seen as a threat to the status quo. Bicycle face was a fake medical condition, made up to keep women in their place in society. We can say the same for Impostor Syndrome. At the time the original research was conducted, it was the 1970s. And it was during this time that Title IX became a law; more and more women were going to college; Roe v. Wade was decided, which gave women more agency over their own bodies. Women began entering the workforce in increasing numbers.鈥� 

To this day, women have been breaking barriers in many fields, including business, government, academia, technology, and the sciences. Saujani鈥檚 words teach us that we can view impostor syndrome in the same light that we view bicycle face. It鈥檚 a reaction to women being in spaces that were not originally designed for them.

Solutions to overcome impostor syndrome that were marketed to women were statements like 鈥淔ake it until you make it鈥� or suggestions that focused on fixing the problems within oneself. Acclaimed Black writer Toni Morrison said the following about racism, but it also applies to Imposter Syndrome. To paraphrase,  

鈥�...the very serious function of [impostor syndrome] is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language so you spend 20 years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn鈥檛 shaped properly, so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says you have no art, so you dredge that up. Somebody says that you have no kingdoms, so you dredge that up. None of this is necessary. There will always be one more thing.鈥�

Morrison鈥檚 quote allows us to see these solutions for what they really are 鈥� distractions. They don鈥檛 address the real causes of these feelings, which are the environments we find ourselves in and the messages that others in these environments tell us. We then internalize our reactions to these places, spaces, and messages. I don鈥檛 like to use the term impostor syndrome because it doesn鈥檛 hold these external sources accountable nor does it promote solutions that lead to real change in these environments. In addition, we know that white men and people from historically marginalized backgrounds also experience these feelings yet they were excluded from the original research. Instead, I prefer to use the term 鈥渋mpostor training鈥�, which was coined recently by several researchers, and I鈥檓 going to use that term for the rest of my message today. I like this term because it keeps the focus on the external influences being the root cause of the feelings we experience and it is more inclusive of those who experience it. Thus, we can think of impostor training resulting when external environments tell us that we are imposing on spaces because those in power think that our presence threatens the status quo 鈥� whether that is due to factors like race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomic status. It鈥檚 not our problem to solve. As children of God, our job is to do what God called us to do. We can鈥檛 allow what鈥檚 going on around us to distract us from that. So, what do you do when you find yourself giving in to those distractions?

We can turn to Elijah, who gives us three strategies.  First, we need to take care of ourselves. When I am hangry and tired, I don鈥檛 know about you but I tend to say and do things that are a little bit out of character 鈥� you know, like Elijah under that tree. To quote a popular Christian meme: 

鈥�...One time in the Bible Elijah was like 鈥淕od, I鈥檓 so mad! I want to die!鈥� so God said 鈥淗ere鈥檚 some food. Why don鈥檛 you have a nap?鈥� So, Elijah slept, ate, and decided things weren鈥檛 so bad. Never underestimate the spiritual power of a nap and a snack.鈥�

Now, as an aside, you all can test this out today. After convocation is the Involvement Fair, and we have a lot of great local churches that are going to be participating. Now, I won鈥檛 say any names, but I know of a church that if you stop by their table, you will get a cookie. So, depending on how long that you stay at the fair and what time you decide to go to dinner this evening, you might have time for a nap and a snack.  I鈥檝e got to get back to this message because we鈥檝e got two more strategies to discuss, but you do with that information what you will, okay? 

Secondly, we know that an angel came to care of Elijah, to help him be his best self on his journey. We think of angels as these creatures with wings, but they鈥檙e really spiritual messengers that are sent by God and they have a human form. They play a supportive role, guiding and serving God鈥檚 people. And I want you to know that you have angels here at 暗网TV to help you be your best self on your journey. They鈥檙e your professors who teach you, advise you, and conduct research with you. They are your Residential Life staff members who help you build community and point you to different resources that we have here on campus, and just a few of those include the Keppel House, the Health Center, the Boerigter Center, CAPS, Dining Services, the Library and so on. The staff members in those offices and the academic departments across campus also help you by advising and mentoring you. If you are a student athlete, then your angels are your coaches, because they train you to be a better athlete on and off the field. They鈥檙e your chaplains that lead you in faith formation. And they鈥檙e your administrators who oversee how this college runs as a whole, making sure that we all have what we need to help you. Like Elijah鈥檚 angel, all of us here at Hope work together to help you walk in your purpose. That is a part of the Godly mission that we have been called to. Let us help you, even if that means that we need to have a hard conversation with you. We do have your best interests at heart.

Lastly, Elijah got to a quiet place where he could talk to and hear from God. When you鈥檙e off track, you need to get away from the distractions so that you can connect to God. It鈥檚 there that you can ask God for what you need, hear him clearly, and spend time in His presence. You can do that here by going to chapel or one of those local churches I mentioned; you can join a Bible study group; you can pray and listen to worship music; you can just get to any place, whether it鈥檚 your residence hall or the Pine Grove, where you can be alone and talk to God. The key thing is that you need to be able to drown out the noise so that God鈥檚 voice is the loudest voice that you hear.

We鈥檙e imperfect people living in an imperfect world. During your journey things may happen where impostor training may arise. God called you to be here, so you belong here. He knows everything that you will experience, so trust that you are well-equipped for this journey. Whether you are a 鈥淒eborah鈥�, or a 鈥淏arak鈥�, or a 鈥淛ael鈥�, God will meet you where you are and use you for His glory. If you find yourself giving into the distractions of impostor training, channel your inner Elijah. Remember that your angels are all over campus to support you, so that you can stay focused on your assignment. My prayer is that no matter what comes your way these next few years, you are empowered to move forward in faith, confidence, and obedience, saying 鈥淰ictory is mine, but God gets the glory!鈥�