Do you ever wonder if you are doing enough? If you are truly making an impact as an educator, mentor, or leader? For Dr. Edson Andrade, those questions have been a constant companion, shaped by his journey as an undocumented immigrant, his experience with imposter syndrome, and his work training the next generation of counselors.

Dr. Andrade is a professor of counseling at California State University, Fullerton. He trains bilingual and bicultural counselors who are dedicated to serving Latinx communities across Southern California. His story is one of resilience, empathy, and creating spaces of belonging for students navigating complex challenges.

Today, we discuss:

• The masks we wear: imposter syndrome, fear, and self-doubt
• Growing up undocumented for 25 years and finding belonging
• The role of empathy and relationships in higher education
• Supporting immigrant and undocumented students in classrooms
• Why connection matters more than content in learning
• Advice for young men questioning their worth and place in the world
  

Timestamps
 (0:00 ) Welcome & Introduction
 (0:29 ) Dr. Andrade introduces himself
 (3:25 ) Ashanti and Edson share their teacher personas/masks
 (5:35 ) Edson opens up about imposter syndrome and self-doubt
 (11:16 ) Timeline reflections and changes in higher ed
 (19:17 ) Helping students unmask in safe and supportive ways
 (23:18 ) Edson shares his undocumented journey
 (23:18 ) Social-emotional intelligence in today’s graduate students
 (27:45 ) How Edson is navigating imposter syndrome as a professor
 (32:37 ) A reminder for teachers: pause and see the whole student
 (33:07 ) Edson’s message to his younger self and today’s youth

Connect with Dr. Edson Andrade:
California State University, Fullerton – Counseling Program: https://ed.fullerton.edu

Join/Contribute to our Young Men’s Conference: https://everforwardclub.org/global-young-mens-conference-2025

Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345

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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/
 Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/

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