Chelsea Davis: Nothing Can Substitute Experience
Nothing can substitute the experience. That is what I discovered as I hosted my own Mental Toughness Workshop in partnership with a Nike Basketball Camp. As we plan to leave college, we believe that we have been prepared for the real world. However, experience teaches academic, professional, and humane lessons that we cannot learn through coursework.
For an extended period, I assumed I needed to separate my identities in a professional environment. I had to choose one portion of myself and make that my only identity. Admittedly, this led to some cognitive dissonance, but I rid myself of this feeling by deeming it necessary to succeed in a professional environment. Fortunately, through my experience as a professional speaker, I learned otherwise.
The first day of the workshop, I knew I had to dress sharp. I ironed my dress pants so there was a crease right down the middle. My ¾ sleeved dress shirt conveyed classy yet confident and my close- toed flats exude comfortable, but ready for action. Even my braids were pulled back into a ponytail so I could keep my hair out of my face and present a proficient presentation.
Sadly, I had practically disregarded another part of my identity: the athlete. I had let society convince me that professionalism was all in the outfit. Nevertheless, when I arrived on the first day, I realized that many individuals were dressed in basketball shorts, t- shirts and tennis shoes. Awkward to say the least, I needed to present my research.
Now, I did not feel confident in my outfit, but I had a job to do. Sticking out like a sore thumb, I powered through my sessions and completed my day. Understanding that my worlds of professionalism and athleticism had merged, I had run into a case of intersecting cultural identities, a perspective that teaches us that an individual has many identities. Although I could categorize one identity as more salient than the other, it was not required.
Through this experience, I gained a better understanding of who I am. I did not have to choose between my identities, but I could exhibit all of them in their own way. After all, if it was not for my own athletic experience, I would have never realized my career goal as a sport psychologist.
When Tuesday arrived, I showed up in jeans, a t- shirt and tennis shoes. I had not chosen my athletic identity over my professional one, but I did learn that merging the two did not make me less than. In fact, it made me a more diverse individual. This workshop helped me realize that I did not have to falsely present myself, but I could present all my identities and be a professional, athlete, and student, all in one.
Excitingly enough, finding that I could present my true self in all my work was not the only lesson I learned during this workshop. During my experience, I encountered my first case of imposter’s syndrome. It typically occurs when one constantly downplays their successes despite overwhelming evidence that they are in a rightfully deserved spot. Feeling like I did not belong scared me into hiding my own achievements.
Running from my greatness, I internalized this fear. When the workshop came to an end and it was time to start networking, I froze. Instead of obtaining the Camp Director’s contact information, I spoke to him, thanked him then got into my car and drove off. Reflecting on this decision, I regret it and I cannot explain what held me back other than fear, but it did its job well and prevented me from creating a new connection with an important man.
Even though the Director expressed his desire for me to come back and endorsed my presentation on his Social Media accounts, I failed to realize my own accomplishments. I did not believe in my ability to communicate in a professional way, and it is safe to say that I let my fear hinder me from getting what I desired: a new professional connection. Although I know I can never get that chance back, I have encountered other opportunities where I have decided to believe that I am great.
Discovering my intersecting identities and being confident in myself were two messages that I did not learn until I was living the experience. The first part of my experience was an easy fix. I gained a better understanding of my professional identity and changed my clothes.
However, learning to be confident in those identities was the hard part. Spending my time reflecting on my experience helped me to discover my self- defeating fear and slowly overcome it. After realizing this underlying cognition, I made the conscious decision to give myself credit. I am a professional with valuable credentials and recognizing that I had achieved many goals facilitated my transition to a more confident professional.
Thankfully, I had another opportunity to showcase my skills. During my visit to a graduate program, I spoke with confidence and professionalism because I believed in my achievements. I presented my skills and let them know that I was a woman who was prepared to succeed in a professional environment.
I am certain that I have gained much knowledge from Lander University and it has helped to mold me, but I know that this confidence in my professional identity was built through my experience. When I first came to Lander University, I was shy and short of this lesson. As my second to last semester comes to an end, I have found a deeper understanding of my identity and confidence in it—characteristics necessary for success.
Chelsea Davis is a Psychology Major who will graduate in May 2022. She plans to attend graduate school and earn a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology. She hosted a week- long Mental Toughness workshop in partnership with Nike, in West Columbia, South Carolina, at Northside Christian Academy. During this week- long event, she enjoyed teaching high- school athletes about the importance of mental toughness.