A long time ago, when I completed my master's thesis at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, I was bursting with ambition to continue my academic journey. However, a crushing setback awaited me. Despite my hard work, my own thesis supervisor refused to recommend me for the highly competitive international doctoral scholarship at the renowned European University Institute in Florence (Italy) that I desperately wanted and needed. His reasons seemed petty and small-minded, especially since in those days the local doctoral program was in shambles with less than 10% of candidates finishing their thesis on time.
In that moment, I felt the harsh sting of rejection and had to confront the reality that sometimes, other people's limitations can try to box us in. My supervisor could not see past his own emotional biases to recognize my potential.
But after the initial discouragement, a newfound determination took hold. I realized his opinion did not define my capabilities or my future. If I was going to have any chance at achieving my dreams, I needed to persistently apply myself and prove my merits rose above any doubts.
So I doubleddown, crafting an exceptionally strong application while raising my skills to an even higher level. I had to outwork and outshine applicants with influential endorsements. Any PhD journey is grueling, filled with sacrifice and moments of self-doubt. But I remained undeterred, fueled by an unshakeable belief in my ability to grow and adapt.
Against all odds, my efforts paid off. I was one of the few selected for the prestigious doctoral scholarship out of a competitive pool. This accomplishment was not achieved because of external endorsements, but through developing an untamed mindset of resilience, perseverance and lifelong growth within myself.
From that defining experience, I vowed to never let artificial boundaries hold me or anyone else back from continually seeking knowledge and achieving their full potential.
From that defining experience early in my academic career, I learned just how obstructive it can be when others project limitations upon us based on their own biases or insecurities. In the end I proved my former supervisor wrong and finished my doctoral thesis on time, and what is more, I managed to publish it as a book with Cambridge University Press, the oldest and largest university press in the world.
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| My book on the Cambridge UP site |
I became professor in Costa Rica when I was only 32. Later I went on to provide transformational leadership serving as a Vice-Chancellor (Rector) for two terms to a long-suffering university of technology in Papua New Guinea in the South Pacific. If I had listened to my supervisor, none of this would ever have happened.
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| As Vice-Chancellor with my students and the elected student leader |
However, I also realized that the greatest boundaries we must overcome are the self-imposed ones - those destructive thoughts and doubts that can prevent us from continually seeking growth.
That's why I make it a point to foster an unwavering growth mindset in the students I mentor today. I understand the transformative power of having someone believe in your potential, even when you fail to see it yourself. An influential mentor provides that external perspective to help break through oneself-limiting beliefs.
Today, when guiding my students, I explicitly reinforce the fundamental truth that abilities are not finite - they can always be developed through dedication and resilient effort. Setbacks and mistakes are reframed not as failures, but as opportunities to gain deeper insights and identify new strategies moving forward. From any negative, make a positive.
I share personal stories like my doctoral scholarship experience to show how self-imposed limitations can be transcended. But more importantly, I aim to exemplify the growth mindset through my own actions as a mentor. This means celebrating each student's small progressive wins along their learning journey and giving them the space to embrace challenges without fear of judgment.
Ultimately, my mission is to instill the unshakeable belief that one's potential is truly limitless when met with passionate perseverance and an insatiable desire to continually grow and evolve. With that empowering mentality, no goal is too lofty and no obstacle is insurmountable in the pursuit of knowledge and truth.
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