Starting Over...Again

Faculty mentor inspires student to succeed

By Pam Patacca, ’76 Kent State Tuscarawas Public Relations Coordinator

Upon his high school graduation, things were going very well for Jim Verhovec, A.A.S ’87, B.S. ’04. He considered college, but ultimately enlisted in the Air Force, where he learned about electronics. When his tour of duty ended in December 1981, he thought about going to college to pursue a degree in electronics, a field he thoroughly enjoyed. In January 1982, he came to Kent State Tuscarawas and met with Dr. Kamal Bichara, who at that time was a professor of engineering technologies. Bichara convinced Verhovec to enroll for classes and served as his advisor.

During his first year, Verhovec become involved in several campus activities, such as playing varsity baseball and flag football and joining the Electronics and Institute of Electrical/Electronics Engineers (IEEE) clubs. He was living the life of a successful, traditional college student. According to Bichara, Verhovec was very bright, earning a 3.5 GPA his first year.

Everything changed one year later when Verhovec was in a serious car accident. He suffered severe head injuries, multiple broken bones and paralysis on his right side. He was in a coma for six weeks, underwent several surgeries and later was transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Everything Verhovec had learned up to that point was lost and needed to be relearned.

But perseverance is Verhovec’s guiding philosophy. He was determined to learn to walk and talk again and to finish his college degree. For several months he received speech and motor skills rehabilitation at two different hospitals. He then continued his rehab at his mother’s home in Uhrichsville.

Two years after the accident, Verhovec returned to Kent State Tuscarawas and re-enrolled in all of the courses he had already taken. He had to relearn even the most basic skills, such as elementary school math.

“Jim’s achievement can be characterized by his perseverance and his will to succeed. He was determined to continue pursuing his goals,” says Bichara, who is now the director of engineering technologies. “Jim had a willingness to stand up and bounce back quickly. He truly made a miraculous recovery.”

In addition to serving as Verhovec’s advisor, Bichara became his mentor. “I appreciated Dr. Bichara’s encouragement and how he influenced my attitude. He personally tutored me in order to bring back some of my lost knowledge,” says Verhovec.

With the encouragement of Bichara, as well as other professors, Verhovec completed his Associate of Applied Science degree in electrical/electronics engineering technology in May 1987 and worked for 10 years as a technician for several different companies.

Then in 1998, while working as a radar and avionics technician for Honeywell in Strongsville, his disabilities became so severe that he had to go on medical leave. But, once again, he persevered and addressed his challenges.

“I wanted to re-enter the workforce,” he says. He had surgery to address some of the side effects from the accident, and in the fall of 2002, he says, “I opted to go back to Kent State Tuscarawas and finish my bachelor’s degree in technology. I finished in the spring of 2004.”

Verhovec credits Kent State, and especially Bichara, for keeping him motivated.

“I want to thank Dr. Bichara from the bottom of my heart for all the help he has given me over the years,” he says. “He is a very good role model.”