The first time I attended a Bridge2Lawgix workshop, I sat in the back and barely said a word. Everyone else seemed so confident, so sure of their path. I felt like an imposter.

Naming the Feeling

It wasn't until a mentor shared their own experience with imposter syndrome that I realized I wasn't alone. Almost every first-gen student feels it at some point — that voice that says you don't belong, that you got here by accident.

Reframing the Narrative

My mentor helped me see it differently: being first-gen doesn't mean I'm behind. It means I'm building something new. Every question I ask, every workshop I attend, every connection I make — that's me earning my place, not proving I don't deserve it.

Practical Steps

I started speaking up more in workshops. I reached out to a mentor. I stopped comparing my chapter one to everyone else's chapter twenty. Slowly, the feeling faded — not entirely, but enough to let me move forward with confidence.

If you've ever felt like you don't belong in the legal world, hear this: you do. Your perspective matters. Keep showing up.