Published by Houston Public Media, this story spotlights EMERGE’s efforts to help high-achieving, first-generation college students overcome impostor syndrome—the self-doubt that can follow them to elite universities. Through workshops led by educators and professionals, including YES Prep principal and Brown University graduate Eldridge Gilbert, EMERGE students learned to embrace their achievements and recognize that they truly belong in top-tier academic spaces. Program Director Felicia Martin shared that EMERGE’s mission goes beyond college access—it’s about ensuring students thrive once they arrive:
“We want them to understand that they do belong in these environments… that we are perfectly equipped and worthy of success.”