'I just want to reach my goals': 17-year-old set to graduate from Southeastern University
LAKELAND – Joshua Ostergaard didn’t set out to establish a record.
But it might have happened through perseverance, focus, nurturing and a bit of natural academic talent.
When the Southeastern University spring class of 2024 graduates, Ostergaard will be among more than 900 students turning their tassels following the 6:30 p.m. ceremony in Lakeland’s RP Funding Center. But he’ll be four to five years younger than most of his peers.
According to his mother, Christina Ostergaard, at 17 years old, Joshua will be one of the youngest — if not the youngest — student in SEU’s 89-year history to receive a bachelor’s degree. She said based on internet research, it was determined Joshua is probably the youngest SEU graduate.
The SEU media relations department told The Ledger it couldn't verify whether Joshua is the youngest: "One of the youngest would be safe to say."
It’s a feat of fortitude that came relatively easy for the Fort Lauderdale native.
“I took my time with courses and did the best I could,” he said. “Studying was a big part of it, but I made sure I had ample time with friends and family; that helped me from burning out.”
During a break in classes Tuesday, Joshua spent some time in his mother’s office on the SEU campus to discuss his academic accomplishment and what comes next. His mother is a professor of marketing at SEU, where she’s taught for two years.
Joshua, who turned 17 on Dec. 5, will graduate with honors with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. But there won’t be any book rest after that. He said he plans to immediately enter SEU’s master’s program in May to work toward a master’s in business administration in executive leadership before applying to law school to study corporate law at the University of Florida.
If his academic timetable syncs up, not long after his 21st birthday, Joshua should be a practicing attorney, specializing in corporate law.
“I just want to get more focused over time with what I want to achieve and how to get there,” said Joshua, a member of SEU’s Alpha Chi Honor Society.
The academic accolade wasn’t too much of a surprise for one of Joshua’s SEU professors, Caleb Bloodworth. The economics professor said the young man was engaging in his classes and seemed to be just the same outside of the college.
Bloodworth is also SEU’s director of undergraduate business and professional leadership for the SEU Global Network. He said Joshua was always well-prepared in advance for his classes and his questions in class were “well thought out.”
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“He had always researched the topic, done his prep work and when he asked a question in class, it was very clear he had thought it out, it wasn’t just spontaneous,” he said.
To get to that point, because of some family health issues, Joshua was homeschooled throughout his life, which allowed him to dive into more advanced subjects at a young age, explore his interests more in depth and work at his own “accelerated pace,” his mother said.
“It was fun. We got to do a lot of hands-on learning and a lot of field trips. There was a lot of community involvement,” he said.
He started his first job at 14 at a Publix in Fort Lauderdale, began dual enrollment in college at 14 and graduated from home school high school at 15, with an associate degree almost in hand.
“It was a way to get real-world applications for my studies,” Joshua said.
While at SEU, Joshua participated in Toastmasters International Youth Leadership Program and competed with a local debate team, where he discovered his love for rhetoric and debate. He’s still a member of the SEU debate team.
Joshua said he credits the support of his family and his “walk with the Lord” as his inspiration and confidence to go after his goals and aspirations.
“I just want to reach my goals and move forward,” he said.
Joshua is the son of Mark and Christina Ostergaard and has a sister, Kaitlyn, 15, who’s currently dual-enrolled at SEU and might beat her brother’s academic achievement by graduating with a bachelor’s degree in spring 2025 at 16. Outside of academics, Joshua said he likes to play videogames.
“I’m very proud of him. More than scholarly, he’s just a good human being – he’s kind and generous and compassionate,” Christina said. “For his future, I think those qualities are more important than academics.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: 17-year-old will get bachelor's degree from Southeastern University
