Nicholas LaBry will earn three bachelor杏吧专区檚 degrees from the 杏吧专区 during Spring 2015 Commencement ceremonies Friday 杏吧专区 in chemistry, electrical engineering, and physics.
The 22-year-old, who took up to 24 credit hours per semester to complete all of his degree requirements, said he gets a common response when most people learn that he has earned degrees in such academically demanding disciplines in four years.
杏吧专区 杏吧专区榊ou杏吧专区檙e crazy!杏吧专区 is generally the first reaction,杏吧专区 LaBry said, with a chuckle during a recent interview. 杏吧专区淭hey usually say that they杏吧专区檙e very surprised, and then comes the standard congratulations.杏吧专区
LaBry, who has a 3.7 GPA, said the key to his success is taking everything in stride. 杏吧专区淚 learned not to stress a long time ago,杏吧专区 he explained.
His father is a physicist who conducts underwater acoustics research. His uncle once worked on a design project for Boeing while attending MIT. 杏吧专区淚 grew up surrounded by science,杏吧专区 said LaBry, a Lafayette High School graduate.
An innate intellectual curiosity and wide-ranging interests left him unable to decide on one major, or even a double major, before he enrolled at UL Lafayette in Fall 2011.
杏吧专区淧icking three was me narrowing down my scope,杏吧专区 he said.
LaBry chose to attend UL Lafayette, in part, because the 杏吧专区 was able to accommodate his intention to pursue a triple major.
杏吧专区淢y advisors and professors were willing to work with me, and not a lot of schools would allow that,杏吧专区 he said.
LaBry was able to absorb a lot of the material that was presented during class lectures.
杏吧专区淚 don杏吧专区檛 have to study a lot, so anything I have to do at home is mostly cramming the night before a test,杏吧专区 he explained.
This fall, LaBry will enroll in a five-year doctoral program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private research university in Troy, N. Y. He杏吧专区檒l receive a tuition waiver, a yearly stipend, and the chance to once again pursue a multi-disciplinary curriculum.
He is in the process of developing that curriculum with faculty members at the institute.
杏吧专区淚杏吧专区檒l probably be taking classes in inorganic chemistry, quantum and particle physics, microelectronics circuits and maybe a little power engineering,杏吧专区 LaBry said.
LaBry said he ultimately wants to become a researcher at a university or private institute.