糖心Vlog传媒

Math struggles turn to triumph for former chef Franklin Bick

For Franklin Bick, a college degree seemed out of reach.聽 Everywhere he turned, a nemesis blocked his path. He couldn鈥檛 pass algebra. At least that鈥檚 what Bick thought until he enrolled in a 2013 summer class at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Not only did Bick excel in that algebra course, but this month the 37-year-old North Little Rock resident will graduate with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in economics and finance and a minor in math. 鈥淚t does blow my mind,鈥� said Bick, as he looked back on his undergraduate experience. He now will pursue a master鈥檚 degree at the University of North Texas. Bick graduates the same year his 18-year-old son Tyler finishes high school. 鈥�(Tyler) said, 鈥楧ad, are you going to come to my graduation?鈥� I said, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know, are you coming to mine?鈥欌�� Bick said with a laugh. Tyler plans to attend the University of Missouri to pursue a career in sports journalism. When he was a teenager, Bick didn鈥檛 enjoy school and didn鈥檛 see the value of education. In Bick鈥檚 view, his family was surviving just fine even though his dad dropped out of high school and his mother had a GED. While Bick had no love for school, cooking had long been a passion. Since his first fast food job at the age of 16, Bick prepared food in just about every restaurant environment imaginable. He was working as a cook in Little Rock when his job was eliminated, and he decided to, once again, go back to school.

Facing the challenge

Bick had a previous stint at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and also was enrolled in culinary school 鈥� each time, algebra seemed an insurmountable obstacle, and he withdrew from classes. In total, he took algebra four times. After his job was eliminated, Bick enrolled in a summer 2013 algebra class taught by Ida Umphers, senior instructor in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Mathematics and Statistics Department. 鈥淪he had a big role in helping me,鈥� Bick said. Bick wasn鈥檛 accustomed to seeking assistance, but this time he was engaged from the beginning. He showed up to class, did his homework, and asked plenty of questions. 鈥淗e鈥檚 incredibly sharp, and he didn鈥檛 take anything for granted,鈥� Umphers said. 鈥淗is struggle was not evident in class. He did a super job.鈥� Bick was adept at leading or working in groups, Umphers said. 鈥淔ranklin is just one of those folks who has the old-fashioned politeness,鈥� Umphers said. 聽鈥淚t鈥檚 a really nice thing to encounter,鈥� Seeing students who previously struggled with math start to shine is one of the joys of teaching for Umphers. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to hear great things from him down the road,鈥� Umphers said. 鈥淗e is going to be a success in whatever he decides to do in economics.鈥�

Charting a new course

When Bick decided to enroll at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2013, he wasn鈥檛 sure about his major, but he had a good idea about which general direction his studies would take. 鈥淚 knew it was going to be business,鈥� Bick said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been business for me.鈥� As he explored his options, he found a fit with economics. He was particularly intrigued by math models that described economic behavior. 鈥淭his stuff is amazing,鈥� Bick said. 鈥淚 just got engulfed.鈥� Dr. Sarah Quintanar in the Department of Economics and Finance introduced him to research. She also 鈥渢aught me to think about why economic relationships matter, which will motivate my study and help frame and answer questions,鈥� Bick said. 鈥淪he has been an amazing mentor throughout this process. He now envisions a career as a research economist. After he finishes his master鈥檚 degree, Bick plans to pursue a Ph.D.

A helping hand

In addition to the guidance Umphers and Quintanar provided, Bick is thankful for the assistance he got from TRIO Student Support Services and the McNair Scholars Program. 鈥淭he TRIO program has helped prepare me for graduate school,鈥� Bick said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very stressful process, and they鈥檝e been there.鈥� Julie Shelby, a Student Support Services adviser, called Bick an 鈥渁wesome, committed student.鈥� There is a downside, however, to Bick鈥檚 success, Umphers said. 鈥淭he world lost a great chef,鈥� she said. Bick still prepares meals at home and is enjoying the creative freedom cooking on his own provides. He also made sure that Tyler knew his way around a kitchen before he heads off to college. While Bick considered not participating in the Saturday, May 13, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock graduation ceremony, he wants to set an example, to show how important education has become to him. 鈥淚鈥檓 doing this so my son sees this,鈥� Bick said.