Professor Nancy Molik: Math Wiz, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Warrior
BY: Tyra Leesman
Editor-In-chief
In an Intermediate Algebra class at STLCC Meramec campus, a professor with black hair and glasses sat cross-legged in her chair and sipped a Coca-Cola, patting chalk dust from her jeans. Nancy Molik tucked her feet under her knees in a position that looked uncomfortable, even to the young college students before her, and groaned slightly.
“Before anybody asks, I sit like this because I have a rare connective tissue disorder that makes my joints all loose and weird,” said Molik.
Professor Molik teaches several math classes at Meramec and suffers from a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a condition that can cause joints to dislocate and subluxate on a daily basis, creating chronic, debilitating pain, loss of mobility to varying degrees, and a list of other complex comorbidities.
Nonetheless, Molik approaches her classes with gusto and passion. According to Leah Keiko, a former student of Molik’s, the professor loves her job.
“It’s really clear that she loves what she does. She has this way of explaining things and sometimes she does it with pictures – it’s really easy to understand. But she really likes it, too. I hate math and I never got why people would go and get a math degree, but then I would see her doing her thing up there at the board and it’s like she’s just really in her element,” said Keiko.
Molik got her Bachelor’s in Mathematics at Armstrong State College in Georgia before acquiring a Master’s in Science and Mathematics from Auburn in Alabama in 1997. After teaching in Georgia for 12 years, Molik moved to St. Louis to be near family and applied to Meramec after reading about the college online.
“I thought it just sounded like fun. When I worked at technical colleges, they’re really just for career majors. But we have arts and music majors here! You couldn’t slap the grin off my face the first time I walked across campus and saw somebody playing a guitar in the quad,” said Molik.
Though Molik spent seven years at a performing arts school, her passion is math. For math-haters and those less inclined to the left-brain, she offers advice.
“Don’t discount your personal experience when it comes to math. When students are coming back to school after a long time, I get a lot of scared people. Even paying bills, buying gas, budgeting – those are all math. Don’t discount how that experience can help you in an algebra class,” said Molik.
The professor says her favorite thing about her job is talking to the students, working through problems with them, and not always limited to mathematics. In her first year after being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Molik taught a student with the same rare disability and was able to connect on a personal level regarding the specific needs of their shared disorder.
Molik advises students, “Don’t be shy if you have a learning disability or a physical disability. It really comes down to support. Research your disability and talk to the access office. You never know when you might need a little extra help, and it’s not shameful to have that help if you do need it. And don’t be afraid to talk to your teachers and the tutors. The scariest things ever is the first time you walk into the office. After that it’s easier! Hunt down resources. Tutors here are free. Use them!”
