Reaching for the Ivy Leagues in one’s mind and in a gap year job
By Kriti Kalary UA’25 and Jim Stellar
KK and JS just talked about gap year job opportunities and some of them are at Ivy League institutions. Why would she bother, because as we wrote in the last blog, she is already accepted into the Fall 26 medical class at Upstate Medical School and has been since high school.
The answer is excellence of the mind. That is important for two reasons. First, it is practical. The better you can be and the higher you can go and the more effective can be the next step in one’s career development. JS saw that after he joined the faculty at the Department of Psychology at Harvard University as an assistant professor. His next step (moving to Northeastern University in Boston and eventually becoming a Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences) was probably helped by his first 8 years working at Harvard. The second reason is more cognitive and maybe spiritual. Most of us were trained by our parents to be nice and fit in. We think that is necessary but could have an effect on something called the “imposter syndrome” where there is a certain lack of confidence that naturally comes to any task. Having something like this accomplishment behind you, helps to offset that confidence issue and open you up to accomplishment. We think that one simply thinks better and works harder, if one embraces excellence. And it can make you more confident without being arrogant.
As KK writes, aiming for job opportunities at places like UPenn during my gap year isn’t about chasing prestige—it’s about seeking environments that challenge and inspire excellence. Growing up in Bonn, Germany, from ages five to thirteen and attending an international school shaped my appreciation for diversity and exposed me to a variety of cultures and perspectives. That experience made me value spaces where different backgrounds come together to foster creativity and growth. When I chose Albany, it was with that same mindset: to be in a place where I could both stand out and contribute meaningfully—a big fish in a small pond, perhaps, but one that could lead with purpose. UAlbany’s diversity has made me feel at home, connecting with my own multicultural background and allowing me to thrive in a community that mirrors my international upbringing.
As a brown-skinned woman in a competitive field, I’ve learned that breaking barriers often means embracing both confidence and humility. Being accepted into medical school in high school, with offers from five BS/MD programs should have felt validating—instead, I struggled with imposter syndrome, rarely speaking about my achievements for fear of seeming arrogant. Now, I realize pursuing excellence isn’t about ego—it’s about fully embracing opportunities and overcoming self-doubt. This gap year is my chance to build confidence, lead, and thrive in spaces where I once felt like an outsider.
I felt the first inklings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome creeping in as a 19-year-old teaching assistant at Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory (CSHL), standing alongside postdocs and PhDs who seemed far more qualified than I was. My frontal cortex knew I had earned that spot through my many hours of dedication and hard work in my neuroscience lab, but my amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for fear and threat detection was constantly in overdrive, whispering: You’re not good enough.That’s what imposter syndrome is on a neurological level: it is your amygdala hijacking your frontal cortex. Instead of focusing your cognitive resources on the task at hand, you’re caught in a loop of self-doubt.
Prominent Yale neuroscientist Amy Arnsten has shown that stress weakens prefrontal cortex function and strengthens the amygdala’s control — making it harder to access logic and confidence in moments of fear. In other words, imposter syndrome isn’t just a feeling; it’s your brain shifting control to the part wired for survival rather than strategy. But here’s the solution to that never ending cycle — and I learned this firsthand — the way to overcome imposter syndrome is adaptation.
At CSHL, I didn’t let fear stop me. I kept showing up, asking questions, preparing equipment, and proving to myself that I was capable. In neuroscience terms, this process is similar to exposure therapy — by continuously doing the very things that triggered the imposter syndrome, I was able to strengthen the pathways between my frontal cortex and my amygdala. Over time, those “I don’t belong here” signals weakened and eventually faded.
Classical conditioning tells us a similar story— it shows us that fear responses can fade away with repeated exposure to the alarming stimulus as the brain stops associating the task at hand to a threat. The more you act, the more your brain rewires itself, making confidence the default instead of fear.
So, how do you get over imposter syndrome? You adapt. You show up, again and again, until the fear loses its power. You let action silence doubt. And eventually, you start to realize you were never an imposter at all.
