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This past week on Wednesday, through my Global Engineering Fellows class, we got the opportunity to speak with Janet Kincaid, a member of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department of Communication. Our class got to be a part of this conversation because as a Global Fellow, we present to first year seminars and other young classes about how feasible it is to study abroad as an engineer, busting the oft-held notion that there’s no time as an engineer. It’s important to be cognizant of the audience being spoken to, and in the case of freshmen, it’s important to keep things non-complex and straightforward.

Janet spoke about jargon busting, explaining to us how the most effective communication is often also the simplest. Simplicity, she said, does not equate to stupidity. Too many professionals get caught up in using highly technical language to highlight their prowess and expertise in their field, when in reality they have a baseline level of credibility that doesn’t need directly explained. In the greater context of the WHO, Janet stressed how important this simplification was, since the WHO often communicates with populations that how low literacy and education rates.

I really resonated with the message that simplicity is not stupidity. Imposter syndrome is something that I think many college students feel, and I know that it’s something I struggle with personally within engineering. I often feel like I don’t stack up amongst my peers, feeling at times as though my ideas or academic abilities would err toward the side of “stupid.” I’ve learned, though, that I don’t need to have the most complex and intricate ideas, but instead have ideas that I believe in and can support with factual evidence. It’s more important to be passionate about what your speech and message, and I’m thankful for this being a recent change, as it’s helped me with my full-time job interview process. It’s given me the confidence to believe in myself and my abilities, while also making sure I don’t over-share and bog myself down in needless details of my academics and achievements.