On Jacob LeBlanc小蝌蚪APP檚 first day of college in Fall 2014, students working a voter drive beckoned him to register.
The 小蝌蚪APP freshman begged off. They persisted. He demurred again.
It wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 a case of civic apathy. It was an issue of legality.
小蝌蚪APP淚小蝌蚪APP檓 only 16,小蝌蚪APP LeBlanc finally admitted. They looked at him quizzically 小蝌蚪APP a 16-year-old college student?
LeBlanc is accustomed to such responses, then and now. He小蝌蚪APP檚 lived the past 19 years in a hurry. So when he graduates Friday with a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in industrial technology 小蝌蚪APP and as the College of Engineering小蝌蚪APP檚 Outstanding Graduate 小蝌蚪APP it小蝌蚪APP檚 the next step in a life that seems perpetually on fast forward.
He skipped kindergarten, so he小蝌蚪APP檚 always been at least a year younger than his classmates. He took three high school courses as a middle-school student, and a schedule of seven classes a year allowed him to graduate high school at the end of his junior year.
LeBlanc shaved a year off his college career, too. He took 20 hours his first semester, and 19 each subsequent term. He finished his degree in six semesters with a pristine 4.0 GPA.
小蝌蚪APP淚 never stick around one place long,小蝌蚪APP said LeBlanc, the son of Vicki and Chris LeBlanc of Scott, La. 小蝌蚪APP淚 do what I have to and then move on. There are other things to do.小蝌蚪APP
While the transcript that documents LeBlanc小蝌蚪APP檚 undergraduate tenure is short and repetitive 小蝌蚪APP a scant two pages and As in every subject 小蝌蚪APP his list of off-campus activities is more expansive. He小蝌蚪APP檚 the assistant scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 156 at St. Mary小蝌蚪APP檚 Catholic Church in Lafayette, where he reached the rank of Eagle Scout after amassing 60 merit badges. He regularly volunteers with charities that benefit children with Down syndrome.
He works part-time as a contractor小蝌蚪APP檚 assistant. In the evenings, after he puts down his hammer, he often picks up an accordion.
At age 12, he attended an informal Cajun music session with a cousin, and he remembers being enticed by the instrument小蝌蚪APP檚 tones. He asked for one as a Christmas gift that year and taught himself how to play, although he never learned to read music. He now jams weekly with other Cajun musicians. He doesn小蝌蚪APP檛 have a band, but he小蝌蚪APP檚 always willing to substitute when another player can小蝌蚪APP檛 make a scheduled gig.
LeBlanc is a dependable person, said Dr. G.H. Massiha, a professor of engineering at UL Lafayette.
LeBlanc took four of Massiha小蝌蚪APP檚 classes. In each, 小蝌蚪APP渉e was the best student,小蝌蚪APP doing extra assignments even after an A in the course was assured, then volunteering to help others with their assignments, too.
Massiha recruited LeBlanc to join the student chapter of the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering during his first semester. Within six months, he was its vice president. The following year, he became president.
小蝌蚪APP淚 really don小蝌蚪APP檛 know what drives him,小蝌蚪APP Massiha said. 小蝌蚪APP淭here is possibly a fire in him to want to be the best. I can just speculate.小蝌蚪APP
It小蝌蚪APP檚 unlikely that fire will be extinguished anytime soon. LeBlanc is already making plans. He小蝌蚪APP檚 since registered to vote, and he cast his first ballot in the Louisiana gubernatorial primary on Oct. 24, 2015, exactly two weeks after he turned 18. He小蝌蚪APP檒l pursue a master小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in systems technology starting in the fall because he wants to return to the 小蝌蚪APP and teach after he retires.
After he retires?
小蝌蚪APP淚 have a lot of time to think,小蝌蚪APP he said. 小蝌蚪APP淚 think about things, think about the future, things I might want to do later on.
小蝌蚪APP淚've got 小蝌蚪APP at the max 小蝌蚪APP 70 more years to live and I'll try to do as much as I can.小蝌蚪APP