Determination and Texas Tech’s $10K Degree Completion Program were the keys to success for the university’s youngest graduate at the 2024 fall commencement.

Simon Onditi never intended for things to happen as quickly as they did. In high school, he was just trying to take classes here and there to get a jump on college requirements.

But once Simon became accustomed to the pace and demands of college coursework, he found his stride. And with the discipline of a long-distance runner, he settled in and completed class after class after class.

Next thing you know, there was Simon walking across the stage at Texas Tech University’s fall commencement, collecting his diploma as an 18-year-old, the youngest Red Raider graduate of them all at the December 2024 event.

“It felt exhilarating,” Simon said, recalling the proud moment of shaking President Lawrence Schovanec’s hand as family looked on during the ceremony held at United Supermarkets Arena. “I spent all of this time with studies and schoolwork, and it finally paid off. I received that degree and heard my family cheering for me. It was all so nice.”

Simon used the dual-credit program at Mansfield Early College High School at Timberview in Arlington to begin paving the path to a college degree. The program enabled him to juggle high school coursework with college-level credits. 

But he didn’t stop there. 

He also took online classes during summer and winter breaks. Those first classes were difficult since he felt like he was going to miss out on the things he could be doing during these breaks. However, after some time, he got used to it and started taking classes with confidence during these breaks.

Then after graduating from high school in three years, he also received his associates degree from Tarrant County College at the same time. He then attended Baylor University for a full year. A pre-med major, it was during the summer of 2024 that he discovered Texas Tech’s $10K Degree Completion Program and began regularly attending Saturday classes at the Texas Tech DFW site in Irving.

“I was just getting it done and seeing what the workload was like,” he recalled. “Then I became more confident I could finish sooner. I began by thinking that I would just ride out the dual-credit program for however long, but then things started snowballing, and here I am.”

Simon earned a degree in leadership studies from Texas Tech, customizing his coursework to include health-care-related electives. He said the program’s flexibility allowed him to complete classes at his own pace while balancing other priorities in his life. 

“I felt like the pacing was really good with that program,” he said. “It all flowed well and wasn’t difficult to navigate.”

He now is turning his attention to medical school. Simon planned to take “a couple” of days off in late December and then focus on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). He has his career sights set on becoming an anesthesiologist.

“I have been thinking about what comes next,” he said. “I want to become a medical professional, and I am aiming at taking the MCAT this spring, so I have to get the studies and prerequisites done.”

For Simon, becoming an anesthesiologist has appealed to him since he was 12 years old when he came across the possibility during a school project and realized this was someone who was responsible for helping keep people alive during major surgeries.

That was an idea he could get behind, similar to how Simon believes Texas Tech got behind him and his educational aspirations.

“It has been a dream of mine to pursue this career,” he said. “Texas Tech was able to help me get to the next steps that I needed to, faster. Now I feel like I am ahead in the game, and it was Texas Tech that helped me get my dreams to come true.”

As well as those of his parents.

“We are so very, very proud,” said his father, Calvin. “We thank God that he worked so hard. He did everything he needed to do, attending classes, studying and sacrificing so much to bring all of this together.”