Dean of Students Barry Schonberger spends his days supervising a number of student programs and activities at USI.

His office is located on the second floor of University Center East, but he oversees a range of activities located all over campus.

Schonberger is an advisor for the Student government Association. He works with the athletic support teams such as the cheer team, dance team and pep band, the student health center, immunization center, the counseling center and student publications. He also works with Office of Student Conduct and Resolution Services to handle student judicial affairs.

“I was the first director of student activites in 1974,” Schonberger said. “I’ve had the opportunity to see the growth of the university after all these 37 years.”

Like most people, however, Schonberger does many things outside of his career, but a lot of his spare time goes to a passion that blossomed at a young age: automobiles. Not only does he own 13 cars and motorcycles, but he belongs to a number of automobile clubs, races his own cars and is a pit crew member and chief mechanic for his son.

Schonberger got his first motorcycle at 15 and began fixing it up. Not long after, he was in an accident on the bike and was forced to wear a cast that entire summer giving him the opportunity to fix a small hydroplane racing boat. That’s when he developed a passion for fixing up broken automobiles. After he graduated high school he got his very first sports car for college.

Having no official mechanical training, Schonberger acquired most of knowledge about cars by teaching himself and watching others. He is still learning new tricks to this day, and the only part of the car he will not touch is the engine.

“I have someone build the engines for me,” Schonberger said. “Those things are expensive enough that you want to make sure you are not making a mistake.”

In 1978, a few years after starting his job here at USI, he began racing his sports cars. He joined a local branch of the Sports Car Club of America and started competing against the clock in autocross races where he won four national championships. He did this until 1996 when he finally started racing fender to fender in street races. He raced year after year until recently when he began helping his son race.

Schonberger introduced his son to cars at a young age, allowing him to help out in his home based shop. He helped his son start racing go karts at first, which evolved into sprint racing. Now they travel all over the Midwest about six times a year competing in competitions.

When he retires he plans to spend time in his shop, improving the cars and motorcycles he has purchased and renovated over the years.

“It’s been a great hobby of mine though the years,” Schonberger said. “I’ve had an opportunity to meet a lot of folks that have the same passion and establish long time friendships that I will never forget.”