Henry Musoma’s section of Management 309 has around 450 students enrolled, comprising of juniors, seniors and on Thursday Sept. 7, a 10-month-old.
University studies senior Ashton Robinson said she was surprised when her professor gladly welcomed her to bring her 10-month-old son Emmett to her lecture class.
Robinson emailed her professor telling him that she couldn’t make it to class because she couldn’t find a babysitter. In response, Musoma, clinical assistant professor, emailed Robinson and told her to bring her son to class.
“I could not believe it,” Robinson said. “It just seemed like his plate was so full that he wouldn’t be able to handle a baby in the class, and I didn’t want to put that on him. But he told me not to worry about it and to just focus on the class.”
Robinson then posted her experience on Facebook to share with her friends. By Sept. 19, the post went viral on Aggie social media.
“Whenever I posted the story I was just posting my personal experience,” Robinson said. “But then everyone commented on it, people were saying from years ago when they had Musoma as a professor. It just speaks so much about his character.”
Cooper Cox, construction science senior, is also a student in Musoma’s class. This is his first semester taking a class from Musoma and was there the day Robinson brought Emmett to class.
“The coolest part, at one point, was Dr. Musoma said that Emmett was not going to remember this day, but us being there is just going to be a part of him,” Cox said. “Dr. Musoma spoke [to Emmett] and said ‘One day you’ll be a fightin’ Texas Aggie.’”
Cox said that Emmett was well behaved, but at one point Emmett crawled away from Robinson and approached Musoma. That’s when Musoma picked Emmett up and continued with his lecture.
“Overall I know that being in his class this semester, as well as the interactions I have had with him, Emmett being in his classroom wasn’t a one time show,” Cox said. “It’s Dr. Musoma’s heart. He literally wants to help and be a resource in any possible way, and it goes far beyond what we learn in our textbooks.”
Zach Tomlinson, industrial distribution senior, also attends Musoma’s class and happened to sit right behind Robinson the day she brought Emmett to class.
“Emmett was kind of doing his thing,” Tomlinson said. “[Musoma] didn’t even bat an eye, he was just like ‘Hey Emmett.’”
Tomlinson said that Musoma goes out of his way to not only help his students in their educational growth but also in their personal growth. Tomlinson said he consulted Musoma’s help for a presentation and after giving him feedback, personally contacted Tomlinson’s mom.
“It meant a lot to me, because my mom is one of the most powerful influences in my life, and to take what I had presented to him, and then go directly out of his way to involve my family, meant the world to me and my mom,” Tomlinson said.
From Musoma’s perspective, the whole event was a unique experience.
“It was special in the nature of how it happened,” Musoma said. “I didn’t expect this. You don’t wake up one morning and expect something like this to happen.”
A word Musoma mentioned was “Ubuntu,” which he said in Bantu language means a call to humanity.
Musoma said the spirit of generosity flows through A&M. He said he believes it is the generosity that sets Aggies apart.
“[It] has manifested itself at A&M and defined my experience here, ” Musoma said. “It’s a place where people are excited about people’s dreams. Instead of being spectators, they become sponsors.”
Musoma was later awarded the Mays Business School Spirit Award, on Sept. 14 by the Mays Business School Dean Eli Jones.