Eau Claire (WQOW)- UW-Eau Claire will say farewell to more than 1,400 graduates this spring semester as many of them complete their traditional four-year programs and move on with future plans. But for one graduate, he was able to do it in half the time.
At 19 years old, Liam Barnes graduated from UW-Eau Claire this spring semester after just two years, with a major in political science and a minor in economics. As a child, Barnes struggled with learning disabilities, making it hard for him to learn in a public school system. His mother, who has a master's degree in education, began homeschooling him, and through a multi-sensory approach of learning, Barnes said he was ahead of grade level by age 15, which is the age when he began to enroll in community college courses. From there, Barnes had 50 credits going into UW-Eau Claire, setting him up for an early graduation.
"I had some experiences in my life where I was told that college might not even be an opportunity, so the idea of proving people wrong. I'm a very competitive person, that was certainly a driving force," said Barnes. "It just felt right. Some things you just set a goal, and I think that's really what it was too, just proving to myself that I could."
At UW-Eau Claire, Barnes enrolled in courses for two years straight during every term with no breaks, taking the maximum number of credits in his early semesters. In the meantime, he was a member of student senate, the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and even studied abroad at the London School of Economics. Barnes said his nonstop learning approach was the right fit for him, and while he is happy to have earned his undergraduate degree at age 19, he encourages every student to learn at their own pace.
"I don't look at it as being ahead when everybody is just on their own path," said Barnes. "There's no real race or anything, it's just about everybody doing what makes them happy."
Before his graduation, Barnes found work at what he calls one of his dream jobs. He is currently working full time as a field organizer on Congressman Ron Kind's campaign staff. Right now, Barnes is unsure of what the future holds after the election, but his hope is to return to London after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides to pursue a master's degree.
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May 26, 2020 at 07:39AM
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UW-Eau Claire political science major earns degree in two years - WQOW TV News 18
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