VIDEO: Brothers graduate together with Computer Sciences degrees
Dylan and Jacob Reed found a pastime could be a profession, and a sibling could be a study buddy.
They grew up with computers and knew their way around them pretty well. But it wasn’t until they began their college careers at Metropolitan State University of Denver that brothers Jacob and Dylan Reed realized that their lifelong interest could become a career.
Now, the brothers are graduating together, each with a degree in Computer Sciences, and looking forward to careers in a field that challenges and excites them.
It was Jacob who first hit on the idea of majoring in Computer Sciences.
“It really felt a lot like puzzle-solving for me, which I enjoy,” he said. “At that point, I decided to go this route” and pursue a degree in Computer Sciences.
His next step was to invite his brother to join him.
At the time, Dylan Reed was headed toward an associate’s degree in Math. But taking a required coding class sparked, and held, his interest in a way no other college course had. That was all it took for him to join his brother as a Computer Sciences major.
Brothers just 18 months apart taking the same classes, working toward the same degree and living together might seem like a recipe for tension, if not outright conflict. But Dylan said their collaboration far outweighed any competition. And the experience offered an opportunity to learn more about not just computer systems but each other.
Each credits the other with supporting and encouraging him and even helping out when classwork got tough. “I would not be graduating in such good standing if not for this man,” Dylan said of his brother.
Jacob agrees. “We definitely have different strengths,” he said. “The best part about it was having that built-in study buddy. If I’d get stuck on a question, I’d ask Dylan for help. And if he gets stuck on a question, he asks me for help.”
After collecting their diplomas at Commencement this month, both will anticipate stimulating, challenging and rewarding careers. And no doubt plenty to talk with each other at the end of their workdays.
As Dylan Reed put it, “It’s a sublime sensation to know your entire future is ahead of you and all that hard work actually paid off.”
