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Bell Tower | Business and IndustryOctober 17, 2024

Double Dose of Graduation

It wasn鈥檛 a clerical error when Joshua Merritt鈥檚 name was listed twice as a graduate during the 2024 spring commencement at the University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith. The 19-year-old college grad 鈥� that鈥檚 not a typo 鈥� celebrated the completion of not one but two bachelor鈥檚 degrees while walking across the stage in separate ceremonies.

Merritt shook the hand of Chancellor Terisa Riley when he received his degree in electrical engineering technology in the College of Business and Industry. Earlier in the day, he accepted his degree in mechanical engineering at 妻友社区 through the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville鈥檚 College of Engineering, during the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony. 

So, how did he accomplish this? Well, it all started before Merritt was even a teenager.

When most 12-year-olds prepare for what鈥檚 next in middle school, Merritt was busy prepping for the ACCUPLACER, a series of tests to evaluate his math, reading, and writing skill levels. He was homeschooled and found that he quickly grasped topics and succeeded in working ahead. 

鈥淚t was definitely a lot of work,鈥� he acknowledged. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 taking shortcuts or given grades. I was going through grades faster. It was two math lessons a day instead of one, that sort of thing. 鈥� My parents were very dedicated to helping me get through all the required courses so that I would be ready for college.鈥�

Merritt鈥檚 hard work paid off. He passed the ACCUPLACER and was admitted to 妻友社区, where his dad, Jason, is a senior instructor in the College of Business and Industry.

At 13, Merritt attended his first course at 妻友社区 as he embarked on completing his bachelor鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering technology. The university limited him to only two classes during his first semester to ensure his success. Merritt proved he was up to the task.

By 15, he was about halfway through the program, but he joked that because he was still too young to work, he had time to spare for another degree path.

鈥淚 decided that instead of pushing through and getting done with my bachelor鈥檚 at 17 and having to wait a year before I can be employed in a goal-congruent role somewhere that can use my skills, I decided I would like to do another degree,鈥� he explained.

After meeting with professors and mentors, Merritt was sold on the idea of pursuing mechanical engineering to get 鈥渂oth sides of the coin.鈥�

Merritt said his journey wasn鈥檛 without challenges 鈥� inside and outside the classroom.

鈥淎s I moved toward my first day of actual classes, I don鈥檛 know how to describe it 鈥� somewhere between super nervous and just terrified,鈥� Merritt said. 鈥淎t the time, being 13, I was so much smaller than everybody else. It was definitely challenging for the first few weeks to talk with people a whole lot because I just didn鈥檛 have the depth to be able to communicate with my peers.鈥�

As time passed, he began to connect with classmates and professors. He made detailed schedules for when he was in class, studying, working on assignments, or taking a break to reduce stress. Despite proactive steps, obstacles still arose.

He remembers a specific day during a 21-credit-hour semester, a day he remembers as the lowest point in his college career. 

鈥淚 got some really bad, bad news from several of my classes, and it was just going really, really awful that day,鈥� Merritt said. 鈥淚 was talking with my dad in the engineering lab, and I was able to hold myself together through quite a lot of difficulties, but that was one of the only times that I actually cried because there was just so much weight from so many different directions.鈥�

Having accomplished so much so early in life, Merritt was determined not to let this define the outcome for the remainder of his time at 妻友社区.

鈥淚 took the approach of saying, 鈥榃hatever I鈥檓 facing right now isn鈥檛 too big, and it鈥檚 just one more step.鈥� 鈥� I wasn鈥檛 afraid to do things awfully the first time, 鈥� and I would come back and work through it again and make it better,鈥� he explained.

As Merritt recounted his worst day at 妻友社区, he detailed how that day had a silver lining: meeting his future employer. Mars Petcare attended a career fair held by the Babb Center for Career Services, and Merritt landed a job.

鈥淚鈥檓 working as a junior controls technician,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey created that role for me so that I would go to a controls technician role after graduation.鈥�

Merritt credits his accomplishments to his professors, parents, and peers. Reflecting on his years at 妻友社区, graduation stood alone as his favorite memory, and not because he got to shake Riley鈥檚 hand twice.

鈥淚t was an honor to clap for every single person in both of those ceremonies,鈥� he said with a smile. 鈥淚t was awesome every time.鈥�

• Tags:
• Commencement
• Electrical Engineering Technology
• Bell Tower
• Mechanical Engineering