Looking back to his first day at OCC as a shy 13-year-old to now, Niko Speck has grown as a student leader and early college superstar. He graduates from OCC this month with four degrees and an engineering future in sight.
Unsure of his path at first, this young Oakland Early College (OEC) student found his engineering vocation at OCC, while pursuing his many other interests.
“I was 13 when I started college, so I went through puberty while I was here,” said Speck, who graduates in May with four college degrees. “It was a little intimidating being around 20-year-olds when you’re 13. I was two feet shorter then.”
Speck is graduating with degrees in Pre-engineering, Science, Arts and General Studies. He was interested in OCC’s dual enrollment program at a young age because he had an older sibling who completed the program. His family also helped to influence his career path.
“I come from a family of automotive engineers,” he said. “I was always good at math and have been in advanced classes since middle school, but I wasn’t completely sold on engineering since I wasn’t interested in the automotive field."
Lot of interests and a handful of career considerations
Niko Speck began taking classes at OCC when he was 13 years old.
Unsure of what he wanted to do, Speck took courses in engineering, general education and more as he explored his options. Since he was good at math, he considered a career in accounting, but said it wasn’t the right fit. Music, on the other hand, was something that called to him. He took several of these courses as well. Ultimately, he decided on pursuing a career in engineering.
“Through my engineering courses, I learned about many opportunities in the field outside of automotive – and the Pre-engineering program had the core subjects I like. It’s a nice base for all types of engineering degrees,” he said. “Even though I chose to go this route, I was able to pursue my music passion, including playing piano at student showcases.”
Younger than most
Speck faced other challenges besides being younger than most students and trying to nail down what he wanted to do. He was also shy.
“I used to be very quiet and sit in the back of the class,” Speck said. “It took me a while to get out of my shell! My pre-engineering classes were small, which made it easier to meet people with similar career goals. When I started working outside of school as a barista, I had to get really chatty, really fast.”
He worked at a coffee shop in the mornings and took classes at night. He learned how to balance “everything,” including many extracurricular interests outside of music.
Once he got over his shyness, Speck kicked into overdrive.
He served as President of his high school’s National Honor Society and worked as a supplemental physics instructor. He also served as Vice President of the Queer Pride Club and as a member of HOSA-Future Health Professionals as well as the Chess Club. In addition, he worked as an intern for the University of Michigan Adolescent Health Initiative and as a pharmacy technician at CVS.
“I found a way to do all of this and enjoy life, while still getting my schoolwork done,” said Speck. “It was a lot to take on but worth it! It made me feel more empowered for the future.”
“You need to be your own catalyst”
When he looks at where he was when he enrolled in OEC, to where he’s at now, five years later, Speck reflects on the dramatic ways his life has changed. He sees this in scientific terms.
“I think of change as a catalyst,” he said. “Life has possibilities, and no matter what your interests are, you can achieve anything. You need to be your own catalyst if you want to make a change. There’s also entropy, the natural state of disorder in the world. You need to embrace this disorder – and be open to being changed.”
Speck notes that when you do this, you never know what’s going to happen. For him, it meant finding a scientific career he didn’t know he wanted, and realizing that along the way, you don’t need to do it alone.
“Professors were great with office hours, and librarians were very helpful,” he said. “The head of OCC’s pre-engineering program also helped me with my college applications and encouraged me to get a research position at the University of Michigan, where I’ll start this fall.”
At U of M, Speck will pursue a bachelor’s in engineering physics with a concentration in chemical engineering.
His ultimate goal? Get his PhD and then work as a professor and conduct his own research – while continuing to pursue his many (and expanding) interests.
“I’m proud of my education, but it just defines one aspect of me,” he said. “Lately, I’ve been into growing plants and making my own sourdough bread. Someday, I’d like to open my own coffee shop.”
Niko Speck is graduating at age 18 with four college degrees with an Associate in Science, Associate in Arts, Associate in General Studies and a Pre-Engineering Associate of Applied Science, He’s looking forward to continuing to learn new things about himself as he pursues advanced degrees at one of the nation’s top universities. Speck joins more than 1,800 OCC 2024 graduates empowered to succeed. Join them in starting your someday, today.