Today we are chatting with Joey, who is getting his masters in computer science, and planning to graduate in 2023! We are so happy to hear from so many scholars this fall. Enjoy Joey’s interview, we love his candid honesty, his amazing and inspiring perseverance, and his sound advice. Thanks, Joey!

1. What are you attending school for now, and how long have you been in school?

I have been in school 6 years. I am getting my Master’s in Computer Science in my 6 th year. The first 4 years were for my undergraduate in Information Systems.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your story of living with a mental illness, for instance how and when you were diagnosed, and how that impacted your life as a whole?

Originally I was a Computer Engineering major from the ages of 18-20. I attended Texas A&M College Station and had no history of psychosis, hallucinations or paranoia. During my stay in College Station over about a year at 20 years old I began to develop psychosis.

After about 6 months into developing psychosis I had gotten to a point where negative symptoms, hallucinations and delusions were out of control. I had had insomnia from it all and eventually, due to lack of sleep, got into an accident at high speeds, 75+mph. I hit my head in the accident, spurring the psychosis to a much more severe degree very quickly. I had to drop out of school and was committed. At the time I had hallucinations, delusions, insomnia, paranoia, lack of cognitive ability, the inability to communicate, a very severe headache that lasted months, black outs, loss of time/consciousness and after being committed I was promptly diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia.

The psychosis would last about 5 years where I would be in and out of the hospital in severe mental pain and symptoms of Schizophrenia. My psychiatrist gave my family a prognosis that I very likely would never recover. Basically, my case was too severe and chronic. Given the prognosis I gave up on a normal life and wanted to commit suicide for the entirety of my time in psychosis, as it was extraordinarily painful. Thankfully I did not commit suicide as you can see. My family told me I need to try going to school. At the age of 25 I started again at a community college, slowly but surely my symptoms were going away.

By 28 my symptoms were completely gone and I had a Bachelor’s in Information Systems. Going to school and achieving a degree gave me back my confidence that I can make something of myself despite my diagnosis and history.

3. What effect has your mental illness had on your educational path? Did it interrupt it? Did it shift your course of focus and/or study?

Yes, originally I wanted to do Computer Engineering but the major was not available at a reasonable price in San Antonio. I had to start my college studies mostly all over again as a lot of my credits from TAMU @ College Station did not transfer to TAMU @ San Antonio. I had taken upper level Computer Engineering courses and the classes I needed were basics and business classes.

4. What has helped you most with your recovery and reintegration back to school, work, and life in your communities?

I attribute my healing and the fact I am still alive to my Christian faith. I had gone through so much severe pain for so long, loss of friends, loss of social status, loss of who I was, the Holy Spirit had given me the inner strength to endure it all in worship and hope for a future. I have 100% faith in Jesus and the blessings that come with Him. I prayed a lot that I would get this scholarship and look, I got blessed!

5. How did you hear about the Baer Reintegration Scholarship Program, and what motivated you to apply?

4 years ago my academic advisor told me to apply for a scholarship bundle application. She said I was guaranteed to get $1000. So, I applied and got the school scholarship. It was the first scholarship I had gotten so easily and the money helped me so much I decided to study how to get scholarships. I ended up reading a section from a book which explained a methodology for applying for scholarships. I applied to several bundles of scholarships and searched on Google for relevant scholarships, found this one and applied every year for 2-4 years. On the 3 rd year I got the Baer Reintegration Scholarship.

6. How has being a Baer Reintegration Scholar impacted your education and your life?

Being a Baer Reintegration Scholar has validated my efforts as a student. The award has lit a fire for my own life, that I am worthy of recognition and my efforts mean something. I am proud to say I am a Baer Reintegration Scholar.

7. What career goals and life goals do you have once you have graduated from your program?

I want to be able to take care of myself and work well. The goal is just to live a normal life, invest money, take care of my immediate family. The vehicle for that for me is programming/Computer Science. Once I am fully adjusted to working I may or may not get married. I do not know what is a good path. In the more present time I want to graduate and build a career.

8. What advice would you give to someone who has just been diagnosed with a mental illness?

The brain is plastic. It has the ability to heal in miraculous ways. If you are consistent, take care of yourself and seek treatment there is a good chance you will recover. Even if you have to live with hallucinations or symptoms of any kind, life is beautiful and worth a try. Also, try reading books on your diagnosis and try getting opinions from a diagnostician to rule out other brain oriented health causes.

9. What advice would you give to someone applying for the Baer Reintegration Scholarship Program?

If you get denied once, apply again. Also try to keep your grades up.

10. What is your favorite aspect of being a student? What is your least favorite?

There is a sense of purpose, a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to getting that degree. Your goal is very specific and you have only 1 purpose, learn while getting that degree. This very purpose is my favorite aspect of being a student. We have a purpose set out for us.

My least favorite part is being poor. With no job I am constantly pinching pennies, getting clothes from donations, asking my parents for money, budgeting my meals. I hope when I graduate I will finally be able to afford nicer things.

11. What are some of your hobbies and interests? What do you like to do in your free time?

My free time and my school time are all about programming. Thankfully I love Computer Science to the point where I am always studying my major in and out of class. In my free time I work on a Runescape MMORPG Remake in Java. The project has been in progress for 8 years now. I joined development 3 years ago and have learned about databases, web design, game design, basically everything necessary to make a game.

It all applies to being a programmer and transfers over technical skills to the ability to work as professional in any Computer Science field. Right when I am done writing this I will go back to writing Runescape in Java. I also only play our own remake I don’t play many other video games.

12. Is there anything else you would like to share with our community?

This covers it, thanks guys!

*All images are free stock images through our website provider, or found and included with permission from the interviewee. Scholars’ privacy is an upmost priority at the Center for Reintegration, this scholar has chosen to go by nickname only.

A Computer Scientist: A Scholar Story