"The Impostor Among Us" Seminar at Berkeley College Draws Crowd Set on Self-Improvement and Positivity
Thursday, February 26, 2026
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“THE IMPOSTOR AMONG US” SEMINAR AT BERKELEY COLLEGE
DRAWS CROWD SET ON SELF-IMPROVEMENT AND POSITIVITY
Photo Caption (L to R): Panelists Sarah Friedland, LPC, Director, Counseling and Wellness, Berkeley College; Paulaska Ramirez, Founder and Executive Director, Generation Fearless; Melissa Baralt, PhD, Professor, Berkeley College Division of General Education and Founder of Bee Better Than Me, LLC; and LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park, participate in “The Impostor Among Us” seminar, hosted by Bee Better Than Me, LLC, and Generation Fearless at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ, on Friday, January 30, 2026. The seminar explored the roots of impostor syndrome and identified ways to combat irrational core beliefs of self-doubt.
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Berkeley College staff, college students, entrepreneurs, and business leaders explored the roots of impostor syndrome and learned to combat irrational core beliefs of self-doubt during “The Impostor Among Us,” a seminar hosted by Bee Better Than Me, LLC, and Generation Fearless at Berkeley College in Woodland Park, NJ, on Friday, January 30, 2026.
“The entire program is about delineating the effects of impostor syndrome on individuals and recognizing that the systems around us perpetuate the acceptance of its presence,” said Melissa Baralt, PhD, Professor, Berkeley College Division of General Education and Founder of Bee Better Than Me, LLC, a New Jersey-based nonprofit. “You are not an impostor. You are navigating spaces that were never built with your belonging in mind.”
Baralt and Paulaska Ramirez, Founder and Executive Director, Generation Fearless, said impostor syndrome has a different definition to each individual, though they agreed that the general definition revolves around self-doubt or being made to feel self-doubt by other, more experienced individuals in a new environment.
“(Impostor syndrome) usually begins to manifest during a person’s developmental years and is reinforced by the person’s environment through lived experiences,” said Sarah Friedland, LPC, Director, Counseling and Wellness, Berkeley College. “It is important to identify the feelings associated with the irrational core belief and develop healthy techniques to manage your emotions effectively.”
“As an educator who has spent decades nurturing young minds and fostering growth, I proudly share my own journey of learning to stand tall in the face of exclusion and shutting down every attempt to confine me to someone else’s narrative,” said LaTysha “Ty” Gaines, Campus Operating Officer, Berkeley College in Woodland Park. “Through this process, I have found strength in authenticity, and in sharing this, I guide others to walk confidently in their truth.”
“The reality is that everyone has doubt,” Ramirez said. She encouraged participants to remind themselves of their positive attributes and that they belong where they are.
“There is power in letting people be who they are and supporting them,” Baralt said. “Participants walked away from today equipped with strategies to stand boldly in their voices and values.”
“When participants left the seminar, they did not just know their worth; they felt it, believed it, and carried it forward without hesitation or apology,” Gaines said.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers Continuing Education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in New York City and in Newark, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, with more than 4,000 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans for 13 consecutive years. Berkeley College is also ranked among the Best Regional Colleges/Universities in the North in the 2026 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges survey. The website address is https://BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower each student to achieve lifelong success.
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