Knocked off course by the pandemic, a math major finishes his degree

Miguel Inocente has always loved math for its puzzles: the intricate work of fitting the pieces into a coherent and elegant whole.

But puzzles can take time to figure out: navigating dead ends, rethinking equations that didn’t quite work. To solve the problem, you need to keep going — and reach out for help when you’re stuck. 

Education can be like that, too.

In August, the first-generation college student completed his bachelor’s degree in mathematics, four years after stepping away. Key to his success was the support he received from Harpur College advisors and SEO Scholars, a nonprofit that transforms public high school students in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, and Miami into successful college graduates.

“Just having that support system was incredible,” Inocente said.

Getting back on track

A native of Peru, Inocente moved to New York with his family in elementary school; he competed on the math team at his New York City high school. When he first came to Binghamton University in 2018, he majored in physics but soon decided that math was his true home.

David Biddle ’01, MA ’02, a lecturer and the coordinator for undergraduate advising in Harpur College’s Mathematics and Statistics Department, has no doubt that Inocente would have graduated on time, with honors. But the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 disrupted his plans, and Inocente struggled during the abrupt transition to online classes during lockdown. His grades dropped.

“I had a hard time adjusting and never really got a handle on things,” Inocente admitted. “As things went on, it spiraled. I was supposed to graduate in 2022, but I wasn’t quite there, so at that point I just stepped away.”

He returned home to New York City and worked a variety of jobs: doing invoices for one company, working in construction, and finally landing in information technology (IT). To bolster his employment opportunities, he decided to pursue an IT certificate through a distance learning program. Being in a classroom setting again bolstered his academic confidence, he said. 

“I felt a lot of regret about never finishing school,” he said. 

In April 2024, Inocente reached out to Harpur Advising to get his degree back on track. Around the same time, SEO representatives also reached out; Inocente wasn’t the only student who faced setbacks from the pandemic, said Kristen Mulvena, a 2016 psychology alum and a senior college persistence advisor at SEO. The nonprofit ended up calling his mom to get in touch.

Inocente’s SEO advisor helped Inocente shift his mindset with a simple observation: sometimes things just happen. 

“Honestly, I never thought about it that way,” he reflected. “Things happen in life, and you might not end up where you want to be, but there’s still a chance for you to go back and do the things you wanted to do.”

Over the following year, Biddle, Mulvena, and Harpur advisors Sondis Taha and Megan McKinney worked with Inocente to develop a plan that would allow him to complete his math degree remotely from North Carolina, where he was working at a call center. He tackled courses in both math and writing, taking summer courses in addition to his regular semester coursework. 

“At one point, I worked from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and I had a class that started at 9 a.m.,” he remembered. “I would get a couple hours of sleep, go to class, go back to bed, and then get to work.”

‘Grit and drive’

Miguel Inocente isn’t the only Binghamton student to have his degree postponed by life challenges. That happened to Biddle, too, as an undergraduate math major. Outreach from faculty members proved crucial to getting him back on track a year later.

“Honestly, I bailed on the idea of coming back because I thought I had ruined my chance. Some Math Department faculty reached out and met me on my terms,” he explained.  

In addition to his advising capacity, Biddle had the opportunity to get to know Inocente in the virtual classroom; Inocente took a summer 2025 math class with the instructor, and also pursued an independent study that further explored advanced topics in axiomatic set theory. 

“Miguel is not an average student. He is a deep thinker, very passionate about mathematics, and an incredibly kind person,” Biddle said. “He has done an enormous amount of work to get here, and I am incredibly proud of him. I’m also very proud of all the work that so many people put in to support him along the way.”

“We call our field college access and persistence work. When I look at students like Miguel, he’s the definition of what it means to persist as a first-generation college student. He has this grit and drive when the odds were stacked against him,” Mulvena added. “I’m really proud and excited that I get to welcome him into being a Binghamton alum.”

His bachelor’s completed, Inocente is headed back to class. Since earning his degree, he signed up for another IT certificate program through his employer; ultimately, he hopes to establish a career in that field.

There’s a fear of failure that can haunt you when you’re trying to get back on track, he acknowledged. But Inocente had some advice for future alumni who may face similar struggles. 

“Face that fear and make an attempt,” he said. “As long as you’re trying to chip away at it, it will work out in the end.”