Endowed Scholarship to Honor Dr. John Gorman
Karen Barbier earned her master's degree in 1993 and later returned to work for over 20 years at UHCL as a staff member. She and her husband Rob know firsthand how higher education opens doors and want to help ensure others get the same opportunity. They established a scholarship endowment that prioritizes academic achievement and financial need for students in the College of Human Sciences and Humanities, hoping to reduce barriers so students can focus on learning. The endowed scholarship honors Dr. John Gorman, who was one of UHCL's founding faculty and an important part of Karen's educational journey.
Letter from Karen Barbier
Dear HSH alumnus/alumna:
University of Houston-Clear Lake helped me develop critical thinking skills at a time in my life when I needed them most. I will explain more about that in a minute, but to recognize the important role the university played, my husband, Rob, and I created the Dr. John T. Gorman Endowed Scholarship to celebrate and acknowledge not only the university but also a founding professor and important part of my educational journey. Just as the old radio broadcaster Paul Harvey would say to introduce his segment, here's the rest of the story.
In early 1985, just three months after I received my Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Houston and less than a year after marrying my husband, Rob, I had a devastating car accident. I had a few cuts, a fractured pelvis and severe head injuries that required a hospital stay and many years of recovery. At the time, I had very little memory of much of my life before the accident including marrying that guy named Rob, which was a complete surprise to me when I woke up in that hospital bed in 1985. I had brief snapshots from my time at UH, and, eventually, better snippets of memories from parts of my earlier life in elementary, junior high and high school, but many times the memories were newly created from photos or something else that would "jog" the memory loose in my brain. I had several rough years after that just trying to remember my life, and even some of the basic skills that we take for granted.
Jump ahead several years to around 1989. Although I had toyed with the idea before that time, I officially became a graduate Literature student in the School of Human Sciences and Humanities. I was incredibly intimidated for several reasons. Although I had always been a reader early in life, the new post car accident-Karen worried that I would not fully appreciate the assigned reading assignments nor understand them. Also, I had not been that "kind" of writer, nor any kind of writer since my college journalism days. I had written many assignments for my undergraduate degree, but not many 10-, 15-, or 20+- page papers. I struggled at first, but I felt completely at home and supported at UHCL and, by 1991, I had my first class with Dr. John Gorman. It was an American Romanticism class, and it was HARD. Dr. Gorman demanded the best from us, and I can honestly say that the "B" I received in the class was not only valid but one that I worked very hard to get. Although a bit trepidatious about it, I knew he would be the best professor to chair my thesis committee. And, in 1993, I received my Master of Arts in Literature.
After freelancing for a few years as well as serving for a short time as a managing editor of a national youth business magazine, I landed a dream job as a media specialist for UHCL. I would be able to work at the place that changed my life and gave me a front row seat to the successes of many more students. Until he retired in 2015 and even a couple of times after that, Dr. Gorman supported our work in the Office of Marketing and Communications often composing a special poem upon request, speaking with media about any literary news we might have or allowing us to photograph him in the office that was legendary for its outpouring of books and papers. In 2013, he received the Outstanding Professor Award, one that was well-deserved. His love for poetry continues and he is frequently spotted at Open Mic events, many times with former students inspired by his passion.
If you would like to add to the endowment and support the scholarship, which will be given annually to students in any program in the College of Human Sciences and Humanities, you may do so easily by visiting uhcl.edu, selecting the "Give" tab and following the instructions for giving to an endowment. In the comment box, be sure to note it is for the Dr. John S. Gorman Endowment. Email gifts@uhcl.edu with questions or call the Office of University Advancement, 281-283-2021.
Thank you,
Karen Barbier
Proud UHCL retiree and alumna