By Michael SandersAs the director of Eastern’s Students with Disabilities Office, Goncalve works with students to encourage and support Eastern student's and help to accommodate their needs.
Russell Sommer, an Eastern alumni student says, "Dr. Silva is one of the most open and friendly employees at EMU. He is the first to sing good morning to everyone at the office and willing to take time out to see how your doing."
A number of the multiple careers Goncalve has experienced have been in the area of psychology. In his book “Life 100”, Goncalve discusses the key to a better attitude and more positive outlook on life. “Life 100” focuses on the four pillars of four aspects of life: physical, emotional, social, and spiritual.
“It’s a science based self improvement program” Goncalve said.
“Life 100” takes the four pillars and shows how to apply them to everyday life and how much time should be spent I each aspect of life. “Life 100” has people focus 90 percent of their time on the present, 9 percent planning for the future, and 1 percent reflecting on the past.
Money made from sales of Goncalve’s book goes toward funding a Brazilian orphanage that his mother started. The orphanage now consists of four or five houses run by church members and volunteers.
George Pariseau, a former assistant to Goncalve in the disabilities office at Eastern, first met Goncalve while learning about “Life 100”.
“Silva is a man who has impeccable integrity, a great sense of humor, and an uncommonly optimistic perspective on life.”
Other areas of psychology in which Goncalve has had experience include hostage negotiations.
“There’s a lot of variables to it”,Goncalve said. “The process is you have to stabilize the scenario.”
Team work is a key part in negotiating. However there is such a thing as to much team work. If too many agencies become involved with the case, arguments arise over how the situation is to be handled.
“In a nutshell, you have to have a very good team put together.”
Fortunately, Goncalve has had a good team every time.
“Several times I had several negotiations and all the hostages came out alive.”
Similarly, Goncalve has worked as a prison warden where he had the opportunity to mentor to young prisoners. Surrounded by other inmates in an isolated environment often makes things worse for inmates rather than to help correct them.
“Very few people come out of prison rehabilitated” he said
Despite such a depressing environment, Goncalve still tried to see the best of things in his work.
"The coffee was free, the food wasn't bad."
In the prison, Goncalve tried to teach inmates about values and morals, but the prisoners ignored him. All they wanted was to listen to rap music. In order to mentor to them more effectively, Goncalve turned all his lessons into rap songs that he taught to the prisoners. One of Goncalve’s favorite rap lesson include, “Upbeat Saturday morning”
Goncalve's songs helped him communicate better with the inmates about values and morals.
"I got a call from one of the boys a couple years ago," he said, "twelve years latter, he still remembers."Goncalve's songs helped him communicate better with the inmates about values and morals.
Goncalve currently has six songs written. He hopes to write more and eventually record his own CD of rap songs.
Lyrics of “Upbeat Saturday Morning”
By J. Silva Goncalve
Upbeat Saturday morning
Upbeat everyday
We do our homework
And then we can play
On the way up, on the way up.
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