Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Simone Dumas.
Hi Dr. Dumas, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was always an involved child growing up. My mama and grandma put me in a ton of extracurriculars; whether that was with my church, my school, or outside sports teams, something was keeping me (and them) busy. I think it may have to do with the fact that I was an only child and they wanted me to have a social life. Regardless of the reason, it carried me into my adult years and so many of those experiences have helped mold me into the person I am and growing into.
I don’t hear the word no when it comes to my goals and dreams. I may hear: not yet, or you need to do “this” in order to make it happen…. But never no. So, when people ask me how I am able to do all that I am in such a short amount of time, most of the time my answer is because “I want to.” I remember when I first began undergrad, I would hear “in college, you have to choose two of the three, but you can’t have all three: school, social life, or sleep.” But I enjoy all three lol I didn’t want to choose. And although difficult, I made it all work for me.
I know that sacrificing is inevitable. Besides what I was told in college, I am constantly being told that I would have to pick and choose areas in my life in order to succeed in others. At the beginning of my doctoral program, the choices were between starting a family or focusing on school… moving into the administration side of education, I would have to focus on climbing my career ladder instead of having children and I needed to be “settled in my career before pursuing a terminal degree.” It was always something I had to give up in order to be successful in the other. And you know who was never pressured to choose? My husband. He never came home crying, with the weight of people’s “concerns” about crossroads in his life. Of course, the advice is rooted in misogyny and sexism, but whatever the reason, I wasn’t trying to hear it.
Balancing it all is hard, of course being human, I am not as eager to show challenges as I am to share success. In the past 5 years of my life, I have gotten married, lost my grandmother, became an assistant principal, graduated with my Ph.D., had three babies, and moved into a new house, all while navigating post-partum and my sanity. So, you can only imagine how hard life has gotten. One of the things that helped/helps me is putting myself first. I know you may be thinking “how can you put yourself first with children and a husband?” And I am not saying this in the literal sense; what I mean by this is that I make sure Simone is mentally and emotionally good as much as possible. When that is the case, I am able to pour into my marriage, my children get a happy and attentive mama, I am more productive in work and school, etc. Writing, sharing, connecting with people is an outlet for me and a way I am pouring into myself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge for me is trying to give 100% of myself to every person and everything in my life. I have learned the importance of saying “no” and the necessity of praying before moving. I am an extremely ambitious and impulsive person; those two traits don’t always work in my favor. I used to move A LOT without God ordering my steps and chile… the way I would have to backtrack or redo. I let myself down most times I didn’t consult Him. Y’all know the saying, “God ain’t in that.” That was how I was moving and I wasn’t at peace. I also had to learn how to be comfortable when God told me something wasn’t for me or when it didn’t work out in my favor. There were so many goals I’ve had and God would ask me, “Are you doing this to please your ego, or are you going to serve others while walking this path?” And the heart check I got out of that question right there… That’s when I knew I better start working this out with God if I want it to work out for me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have a heart for education and service. Right now, I am a High School Academic Dean (Assistant Principal). My background in teaching is in English and my Master’s and Ph.D. is in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. During my research, I focused on Impostor Phenomenon (better known as Imposter Syndrome) among Black Women in Educational Leadership roles. Throughout my years, I am most proud of the emphasis I place on my values while navigating adulthood. And I really didn’t notice it until the beginning of the pandemic.
The pandemic contributed to the slight burnout of education I was once feeling and also it has had the biggest influence in the parameters, I set in my previous job search. Before my current job, I was so sad that I was leaving my school because I began working with this community in my first-year teaching. I have seen this particular community from multiple lenses: as a teacher working with students and their families, as an administrator working more closely with stakeholders, and as a parent voting on decisions that will affect my family. But one thing made it apparent that it was time to move on, and it was the disconnect in values I had with my organization, especially in the middle of a pandemic.
With everything, I have to consider and weigh the importance of certain areas in my life, particularly always thinking through how my choices in my career affect my children, my marriage, and me. It’s hard and the constant battle between them absolutely contributes to my feelings of impostor phenomenon in the progression of my career.
The impostor phenomenon, also called impostor syndrome, is the feeling of doubt and fear a person has in the workplace, despite having the credentials, ability, experiences, and education to perform and excel. These feelings can be overwhelming among women, especially women of color.
Here I am, a published Ph.D., certified to be both a principal and superintendent, yet, I use to doubt myself every time I clicked on a district’s career page in search of a new position. I was stuck between going after positions that match my certification and positions that are comfortable for me as I juggle my hats as a mother, wife, and professional. Because of the pandemic, I now know that as a mother, I need a job that understands how important my children are to me. And, yes, of course, my children were important to me prior to the pandemic, but it wasn’t until my husband and I were forced to make decisions about them going to school, who could and couldn’t come visit me while I was pregnant and me staying home so that I could safely breastfeed, that I truly understood how tough these decisions could be.
The career track in educational leadership is extremely linear. If you want to be a school principal, you start as a teacher, then you get your Master’s, become certified to be a principal, become an instructional coach or dean of students, then an assistant principal, then a principal. Very rarely does a person jump from one position up two positions. What was difficult for me in previous career searches is that I was looking for a position that allows me to put my children at the forefront, but as an assistant principal tracked for district leadership, it’s presenting challenges. And I haven’t been as confident and as assertive as I normally am out of fear of being rejected for making those demands. Then, considering new roles outside of where I am tracked brings another bout of anxiousness because what if I can’t live up to expectations? How hard will it be to get back on my career track once I venture to other opportunities?
There are no real answers to most of the doubts that plague my mind; it’s a matter of belief in myself and my capabilities. For anyone, especially Black women, who are experiencing impostor syndrome, I wish I had the answers for us. But, know that you are not alone!
I pride myself on mentoring other Black women and helping them navigate the many hats we wear, both voluntarily and involuntarily.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Black women are the reason I am here, professionally. A Black woman poured into me while I was a teacher and tapped me on the shoulder and brought me in as an instructional coach. Another Black woman then mentored me, informally, through my first Assistant Principal role. She encouraged me not to shy away from my thoughts and opinions. Other Black women made it their goal to support me through all positions in my life and if it weren’t for their guidance and belief in me, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today.
In my research, one of the themes that became apparent through the interviews I conducted was the Black woman’s need for mentorship, but more importantly, representation in the mentorship. It wasn’t enough to simply have a mentor, but that mentor needs to be able to identify, culturally, with the Black woman. That familiarity and the comfortableness in representation allows Black women leaders to be themselves in career progression.
In seeking for a mentor myself, what’s worked for me is being very clear about my expectations and desires in the mentor relationship. The most recent conversation I’ve had with my mentor was me telling her, “I want to be a school principal in the next 3-5 years. Can you work with me in school budgeting and ESL (English as a Second Language) laws.” This lets her know where she can direct her guidance. It keeps the mentorship very specific, all while I am growing in areas I am not as strong in.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MoreWithMone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MOREWITHMONE/
- Twitter: @SimoneMDumas
Image Credits
Marc Mayes
Alana
Devin Woodson
