Bell Tower | Business and IndustryOctober 17, 2024

Double Dose of Graduation

It wasn’t a clerical error when Joshua Merritt’s name was listed twice as a graduate during the 2024 spring commencement at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. The 19-year-old college grad – that’s not a typo – celebrated the completion of not one but two bachelor’s 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 UAFS through the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s 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’s 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. 

“It was definitely a lot of work,” he acknowledged. “I wasn’t 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. … My parents were very dedicated to helping me get through all the required courses so that I would be ready for college.”

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

At 13, Merritt attended his first course at UAFS as he embarked on completing his bachelor’s 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.

“I decided that instead of pushing through and getting done with my bachelor’s 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,” he explained.

After meeting with professors and mentors, Merritt was sold on the idea of pursuing mechanical engineering to get “both sides of the coin.”

Merritt said his journey wasn’t without challenges – inside and outside the classroom.

“As I moved toward my first day of actual classes, I don’t know how to describe it — somewhere between super nervous and just terrified,” Merritt said. “At 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’t have the depth to be able to communicate with my peers.”

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. 

“I got some really bad, bad news from several of my classes, and it was just going really, really awful that day,” Merritt said. “I 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.”

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 UAFS.

“I took the approach of saying, ‘Whatever I’m facing right now isn’t too big, and it’s just one more step.’ … I wasn’t afraid to do things awfully the first time, … and I would come back and work through it again and make it better,” he explained.

As Merritt recounted his worst day at UAFS, 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.

“I’m working as a junior controls technician,” he said. “They created that role for me so that I would go to a controls technician role after graduation.”

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

“It was an honor to clap for every single person in both of those ceremonies,” he said with a smile. “It was awesome every time.”

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