October 9, 2024

NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett has grit and she is passing it along to others.

“I am positive. I have hope. I work at eliminating ‘stinkin’ thinkin.’ I run marathons. What do these words have in common? They describe me,” said Thorson-Barnett, associate professor of Psychology and Addiction Studies at Northwestern State University.

Throughout her years at NSU, Thorson-Barnett has focused on excellence in teaching, academic advising and research on stress management and coping skills while keeping up to date on technology “and the ins and outs of eliminating ‘stinkin thinkin.’”  Then came Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.  To support the revitalization of Louisiana, the American Psychological Association held their annual conference in New Orleans. While the attendance was sparce and food supply limited, several Northwestern State faculty members attended the conference.

“One of the sessions I attended was on positive psychology,” Thorson-Barnett said. “My eyes opened and the wheels in my brain started spinning. This is the area of research that attracted me. My first venture into positive psychology was enthralling. Within one year, I developed a 16-week, three credit course named. . . wait for it, Positive Psychology!  I continued doing research on strength psychology.”

For the last five years Thorson-Barnett’s research has focused in on grit. She said that American psychologist Angela Duckworth in 2016 defined grit “the combination of passion — a deep, enduring knowledge of what you want — and perseverance — hard work and resilience. It is about moving in a direction with consistency and endurance, like having a clear inner compass that guides all your decisions and actions.”

Thus began the Grit Team, several Northwestern State professors and a colleague from another university, who came together on the topic.

“We have studied the influence of grit on marathon runners, as a predictor of academic success of college students, as a predictor of success for education majors and to determine if the levels of grit are different along classification, as in freshman, sophomore, junior, senior,” she explained.  “From this research, the Grit Team plans on developing workshops, TED talks and presentations on developing grit.”

Thorson-Barnett, a licensed addition counselor, is also former chair of NSU’s Department of Psychology and Addiction Studies.  She continues to teach undergraduate courses and has been recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award and Excellence in Academic Advising Award. She serves on thesis committees and is a reader for undergraduate theses for psychology majors in the Louisiana Scholars’ College.  She has served NSU on the Curriculum Review Committee (CRC), Registration, Credits, and Graduation Council (RCGC), Retention, Promotion, and Promotion (RTP) committees and other committees as assigned. Her community service initiatives include suicide awareness training, consulting, CASA and church activities.

Thorson-Barnett recently established a scholarship for a Northwestern State student who demonstrates grit.

Tania Hernandez-Baullosa is the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Susan Thorson-Barnett Grit Scholarship. A native of Cuba, she moved to Florida at age 19 and eventually to Natchitoches to pursue a master’s degree in clinical psychology at Northwestern State.

“I was an accounting major in Cuba, but I did not see myself managing people’s finances when I could not even manage my own—I would have been a catastrophic employee for businesses,” she said. “One day, my mom mentioned the child psychologist profession, and I thought—I would love to do that. When I came to the U.S., I started working toward that goal. The more I learn about psychology, the more reassurance I get this is the right path.”

Hernandez-Baullosa plans to eventually earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

“I am interested mainly in anxiety and depressive disorders, but I also want to be skilled in treating trauma. One of my professional goals is to improve mental health services for children in foster care or who are at risk of entry,” she said. “We all have a purpose; it is just a matter of hearing the call and being determined to follow it.”

Students who qualify for the scholarship must be full-time undergraduate or graduate students studying psychology and/or addiction studies with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Applicants must possess a combination of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals and provide evidence of overcoming significant challenges in their academic or personal lives. They must show a track record of sustained effort and commitment to psychology research, practice and community service and submit an essay detailing personal experiences that illustrate resilience, determination and sustained effort, explaining how those experiences have influenced their academic and career goals in psychology.

“I am honored to have been selected as the first recipient of Dr. Barnett’s scholarship,” Hernandez-Baullosa said. “She is an extraordinary human being who radiates kindness and fuels positive energy with her presence.  What comes from her has good vibes. I am immensely grateful for this financial aid.”

“This academic narrative is far from being completed, as there is so much to do, and such little time,” Thorson-Barnett said. “Stay tuned, as the next chapter will be added in no time at all.”

To contribute to the Susan Thorson-Barnett Scholarship, visit  https://northwesternstatealumni.com/grit-scholarship/