Believe it or not, the semester is coming to an end and perhaps you are preparing for finals or final papers. This is the time of the year when we not only reflect on our accomplishments from the semester, but also our accomplishments for this year. We may be reassessing where we are in life and questioning if we are on track with our goals or are reassessing them. Dr. Mike Mead is a person who has a depth of experience in education that few can match, and therefore is a fantastic example of the importance of education, history, wisdom, tolerance, sharing and giving as we approach this holiday season and the end of the year.
I believe as you read through Mead’s responses, you will travel through time and have an opportunity to experience what college was like in the 1960s before the Internet, smart phones, and other technological advances existed. Mead attended college during a time when you actually had to go to the library to prepare research term papers by locating the books on the library shelves instead of using Google’s scholar search engine. However, he is as recent as any young scholar. Mead is very generous with his wisdom and knowledge. He assists students with their modern issues and challenges of today’s college and world, with old world charm. I believe you, much as I do, will find his insight inspiring. Enjoy!

What degrees have you earned to date?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and World Languages (Latin, French, and Greek) from Sacred Heart Seminary (Detroit, Michigan). I have a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Guidance and Counseling from The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

What is your job title and present responsibilities, and what other positions have you held prior to the present?
Currently I work as an adjunct faculty member at Henry Ford community college as a Counselor. My duties are to provide HFCC students with the services of academic advising, choice of a college major and career, and resolution of personal challenges that act as barriers to success in college.
In 1965 I began working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the District of Columbia and all my clients were disabled and receiving community financial support. In 1966 I accepted a counseling position at Montgomery College in Montgomery County, Maryland. In 1975 I applied and was accepted into the position of Dean of Student Services at Montgomery College. In 1982 I applied and was accepted into the position of Vice President of Student Service at Henry Ford Community College. For one year I was the Acting President of Henry Ford Community College in 1989-1990.

As an undergraduate student, what was your experience like?
My undergraduate experience was at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. There were 1,000 students at this college in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Half of the students boarded at the college. The remainder commuted. I was a border. I got to know my classmates very well. We studied, prayed, and played sports together. We had intramural sports and each class (freshmen, sophomores, etc.) played against each other in touch football, softball, basketball, tennis, and handball. Our studies were rigorous as we had to take six courses each semester and classes were held six days a week. Sundays were liturgy days.

What was the most difficult challenge you faced while in undergraduate college and how did you manage it?
All my philosophy classes that I completed for the B.A. degree in Philosophy were in Latin. My text books were in Latin and the professors lectured in Latin. My exams were written in Latin. I had to use English translations to understand the concepts presented in the classroom. This doubled my efforts because I still had to understand the concepts in Latin because I had to respond to the exam questions in Latin. Two years after I graduated from Sacred Heart Seminary the college changed the requirement and allowed all Philosophy courses, texts, and exams to be taught in English. Timing is everything!!

What do you believe are the awards of your education?
First of all I can tolerate ambiguity. There are few totally right and wrong answers. I cannot know everything and I have to be comfortable with that fact. College taught me how to research topics and to critically think and therefore to use logic to make sound conclusions, to make informed choices, and to solve problems. The Ph.D. allowed me to work as an administrator in the community college movement. Without this credential I would not have been considered for administrative positions. Administration allowed me to be involved in the development of college policy and procedures.

Did do you have mentors in your life?
Well, first of all and most importantly, the most powerful mentors in my life were my parents. My parents had eight children. My father was a medical doctor (neurological surgeon). My mother was an artist educated at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the force in the family encouraging all members to obtain as much formal education that they could handle. She served as the mentor for us all. I have two sisters with masters degrees who are teachers in secondary education (Michigan State University). One sister has a BSN in nursing (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) and the other is a professional artist with a B.A. (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor). One brother, who is a dentist, went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.; another brother is a medical doctor and went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor; and my third brother teaches secondary education and has two Master’s Degrees from Western Michigan University. Personally, I have had another significant mentor, Mr. Jay Doyle, who was my boss at Montgomery College. He gave me the time and support to finish my Ph.D. He even lent me his car so I could attend evening classes at The Catholic University of America; now that’s an unusual mentor!

Advice to students?
Persistence is everything!! Never give up, no matter what life circumstances present. It is best to be internally motivated, i.e., learning for self rather than for others. There is nothing wrong with external motivation, i.e., grades, earn credits, please others, but learning because you are curious, fascinated, challenged, or passionate about fulfilling a dream is more powerful and leads to success.