I Gave the Speech. I Still Felt Invisible.

I spent weeks writing a keynote that was supposed to inspire everyone—professors, students, people who actually seemed to belong here. I read examples, practiced my jokes, rewrote every line until it sounded like someone else’s voice. The night before, I lay awake rehearsing, trying to believe I had something worth saying. When I finally stood at the podium, all I could think about was how much I’d faked to get here. I tailored every word to what I thought they wanted. I smiled, I made them laugh, I hit every point. People clapped. But as I walked offstage, all I felt was how little it mattered. No one saw how hard it was to show up, how much I wanted to disappear after. I gave them the speech they wanted. I left feeling more alone than ever. #ImposterSyndrome #AcademicPressure #NotJustGrades #Education