by Karen Barbier
Philosopher René Descartes wrote in his 1637 "Discours de la Méthode," "It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well." And that is exactly what UHCL humanities graduate Robert Dorsey does. He uses his mind well.
As a process technician/operator at NOVA Chemicals in Bayport, Texas, Dorsey may not get to quote Descartes very often or even have much time to write his treatise on the importance of understanding David Hume, but he insists he uses what both of the great philosophers have said.
"I talk about Descartes at work and, sometimes, Hume," says Dorsey. "I'll reference one of them with quotes, and the guys at work are getting used to it."
The "guys at work," some of whom have known Dorsey many of his 14 years with NOVA, have experienced the trials and tribulations of his journey, which has not only included trading shifts so that Dorsey could attend class, but also supporting him as he overcame cancer to reach his educational goals.
Born and raised in Galveston, Dorsey proudly states that he is the first in his immediate family to receive a bachelor's degree, a bachelor of arts in humanities to be exact. At 52, Dorsey admits that many things almost stopped him from earning that degree.
"As a kid coming from a poor family, all I wanted when I graduated from Central High School in 1968 was to become a professional athlete," says Dorsey. "I didn't have a lot of counseling and I thought just graduating from high school was a big thing and would open doors."
Several years and a whole-lot-of-living later, Dorsey says he started seeing life "for what it was." He realized the importance of an education, and by the late '80s enrolled at College of the Mainland.
Eventually, Dorsey's path to success brought him to UHCL. Initially ready to conquer a business degree with an emphasis on management, he met with a UHCL counselor and discovered many options that would allow him to take the liberal arts classes that he had enjoyed at the community college level and still receive the business background that he wanted.
"I read that a liberal arts degree would help me develop my people skills and interpersonal communications skills," explains Dorsey. "A degree is a big asset for someone my age and can help if I ever decide to join the management field."
Although Dorsey struggled through many of the normal stresses of everyday life, he managed to continue working and taking classes. The unthinkable happened in 1995 when Dorsey was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. Forced to postpone his dream of an education, Dorsey focused on his illness, taking radiation and chemotherapy. His will to finish his degree did not waiver despite the temporary setback.
He relied on family, including his work family and church family, and eventually made it back to UHCL. Because of the tenuous work schedule held by most chemical plant shift workers, finding the time to take classes can often be difficult. This did not stop Dorsey who traded 12-hour day shifts for 12-hour night shifts, 5 p.m. 5 a.m., so he could attend the morning and afternoon classes that he needed, sometimes with as little as three hours of sleep.
"I didn't miss a single class," says Dorsey proudly. "I always went to class prepared and participated in class discussions. At one point, my eyes were so red that I went to the eye doctor to have them checked out."
In fact, Dorsey did so well that last spring, the semester after he graduated, he was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the humanities program. Chosen by the humanities faculty, award winners, like Dorsey, must demonstrate dedication to their respective fields and to their studies.
"Dr. Mieszkowski (professor of literature and Dorsey's adviser) called me and left a message," says Dorsey. "I called her back from my cell phone while I was at work. She told me I had won the award, and all I could say was, 'That's got to be a mistake.' I was overwhelmed."
"Robert was very deserving of the award," says UHCL Assistant Professor of Communication Matthew Linton. "I can't begin to describe the qualities he brought to my class - he brought 'real world' passions into the classroom."
Although he has not registered for graduate classes, Dorsey knows he will attend school again and admits that if he were independently wealthy, he could easily become a professional student.
"Education is important," adds Dorsey. "The reading and writing in my humanities classes were good for me."
The 18th-century Scottish philosopher David Hume said it best in one of his essays, "Beauty in things exists in the mind which contemplates them."
And that's something Dorsey plans to keep on doing.
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