I recently had the good fortune of meeting math instructor Scott Barnett and working with him on a project. Scott and his colleagues developed a math modular that allows students to work at their own pace. Scott presents as a person with a mission, he has drive and dedication to help students to learn math.

One of the responses of the interview he notes that his greatest challenge while attending college was the death of his father. Scott suddenly had to deal with the death of his father and not having health insurance. He had to manage the mourning of his father along with somehow establishing financial stability and health insurance, which was not easy at the time he was attending school.

Along with his personal challenges he also was a full-time student. With all of this he did not drop out and give up which would have been understandable. But he elected to seek help from his college and continue with his studies.

I have had students who also have faced similar or greater challenges than Mr. Barnett while attending college. Every person is different in regards how they manage stress, also known as stress tolerance. In the Psychology Dictionary stress tolerance is defined as “In stressful conditions, a person's ability to do the task appropriately with minimal anxiety level is known as stress tolerance. Another way to put it is how one manages stress, duress and even mourning before it interferes with accomplishing a task or managing daily life.

When I have students discuss the various types of stressors in their life such as loss of a love one, lack of income, homelessness or alienation; the first thing we explore is how is the stress impacting their life. Some people experience situational depression, which is not having the ability to manage what they normally do for a short period of time. People also can experience anger while grieving over a loss. Whatever the issue, I with the student attempt to explore what is causing the problem and how to manage it.

As a student you have several resources at Henry Ford College. Henry Ford College has a great team of counselors to assist students. All of our counselors are licensed and have training in personal counseling, crisis management, stress management, grieving and many other concerns that can assist a student in managing problems in their life.

As with Professor Barnett when he was experiencing the various challenges, he could have given up or as he did sought help at his college so he could remain in school and become the great instructor he is now. I hope that as you read Scott’s story you find it uplifting and fruitful with knowledge and find that he maybe like you faced several challenges but learned how to manage or overcome them. As he well stated: “You do your best and hope that some combination of grit, (and) compassion…will lead you to and through a good and productive life”. Enjoy!

1. What degrees have you earned to date?

B.S. in Mathematics, University of Detroit Mercy
M.A. in Mathematics, Wayne State University

2. As an instructor of the college, what are your responsibilities?

I teach a variety of courses in the Mathematics Department. Currently I’m also coordinating our new modular developmental mathematics courses, courses in which each student progresses at an individual pace until the material is mastered. I hold office hours and participate in departmental, divisional, and College-wide committees.

3. As an undergraduate student, what was your experience like?

My undergraduate experience was good. Instructors were generally approachable and willing to help. My time student-teaching 8th-grade mathematics during my last year was eye-opening.


4. What was the most difficult challenge you faced while in college and how did you manage it?

My father died unexpectedly in the middle of a semester. I had been covered under his health insurance and lost that for a time after the end of the month during which he died. I hadn’t really understood my immediate family’s precarious finances until after his death. Through help and advice from a dean at UDM, some luck, and landing a different job at the Detroit Newspapers, where I already worked part-time, I stayed on track academically and was able to regain health coverage, though I was working almost full-time and had a full-time class load.

5. Did and do you have mentors in your life?

There’s no group of people I’d specifically identify as mentors. But my elementary and high-school teachers provided a strong academic foundation, and a number of people during my college years—particularly Dr. Kenneth Henold at UDM—were supportive. I’m fortunate to currently be surrounded by great colleagues who have helped me tremendously.

6. What do you believe are the rewards of your education?

This is a tough question. I would not have had any of the teaching positions I’ve loved so much without my education. But aside from career and monetary rewards, perhaps being able to understand complex societal issues or to at least recognize the importance of grappling with them may be a reward, or at least an outcome, of my education, albeit a reward/outcome that is still developing.

7. In giving advice to students regarding pursuing their dreams, what role do you believe charity, gratefulness, self-determination and forgiveness play in the success of a person’s educational pursuits and a productive life?

Those four qualities or concepts are important. You do your best and hope that some combination of grit, compassion (including self-compassion), and maybe a bit of luck—obviously you can’t depend on luck, or it wouldn’t be luck—will lead you to and through a good and productive life.

Thank you Scott for the great interview.