杏吧原创

Arts and Sciences | Lion VoicesMay 06, 2025

Road to Ph.D.: Kaleb McLaughlin鈥檚 Risk and Resolve

Written By: Ian Silvester

College was always part of Kaleb McLaughlin鈥檚 plan, but the self-discovery that course of his life would bring was something he wouldn鈥檛 have imagined.

Kaleb鈥檚 undergraduate journey will come to a close on May 10, but it will only be the end of one chapter in his academic journey. He will walk across the stage at the Stubblefield Center that day to accept a bachelor鈥檚 degree in geoscience with a minor in geographic information systems and history. He鈥檒l pack his bags soon after to move to Gainesville, Fla., where he will begin a master鈥檚 to Ph.D. program at the University of Florida.

Kaleb, a 2018 graduate of Southside High School, started at the University of 杏吧原创 鈥� Fort Smith with aspirations to be the first in his family to graduate from a traditional four-year college. He planned to become a history teacher.

School was easy for him at Southside, and he felt he didn鈥檛 need to work very hard to get his degree from 杏吧原创.

鈥淚 was a C student, kind of just doing it,鈥� he said. 鈥淐鈥檚 get degrees, that鈥檚 what they say, right?鈥�

After Kaleb鈥檚 first year at 杏吧原创, his mom returned to her home state of Ohio. Kaleb followed her after the spring 2019 semester and planned to take a year off to establish residency. Kaleb was nearing the required time for residency to be established, just as the world was thrown into the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While he lost his job due to the pandemic, there was a silver lining on his horizon.

Kaleb had planned to start a college program at a school in Ohio, but wasn鈥檛 certain that was the move he wanted to make. Then, a phone call changed everything.

鈥淢y friends [from 杏吧原创] were like, 鈥楬ey, we are moving into a house. Do you want to you move back?鈥� So, it kind of just worked out,鈥� he said.

He returned to Fort Smith, found a job, and re-enrolled in online classes at 杏吧原创 in the fall of 2020. Four semesters later, a general education requirement in physical geology would change his path again.

鈥淚鈥檓 still surprised I [changed majors], honestly,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淏ut you know, what鈥檚 another semester and a couple thousand [dollars] like relative to life? I took the risk, and it was literally the best decision I could have made.鈥�

Kaleb found a rejuvenated energy for school with the change. He turned his Cs into As and Bs, and met the girl he plans to marry. The change also meant finding the exciting new path he embarks upon next. He gives all the credit for that to Dr. Maurice 鈥淢oe鈥� Testa, associate professor of geoscience.

鈥淚t was the first time I talked with somebody who really got it,鈥� Kaleb explained. 鈥淲ithout Moe鈥檚 guidance, I wouldn鈥檛 have been able to do it.鈥�

Kaleb鈥檚 rejuvenated energy and newfound focus opened many doors, including options to attend Kansas State University or Clemson University. But he chose the University of Florida, where he鈥檒l pursue his Ph.D. in geosciences with an emphasis on caves and karsts.

He recounted the interview process with each graduate program, but highlighted the experience with Florida that sealed the deal.

Kaleb first met with Dr. Oana-Alexandra Dumitru, an assistant professor of geological sciences at the University of Florida, over Zoom. During his later on-campus visit, she told him that he was the first candidate interviewed for his cohort and that she really hoped he would attend their program.

It was the affirmation he needed to know that Florida would be the best fit to continue his education.

He believes that his time at 杏吧原创 and the opportunities it has provided, like research projects with Testa, trips to evaluate data in the field, and presenting his findings at conferences, are what will benefit him most when his next chapter begins.

For Kaleb, the journey was worth being patient.

鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 you want to take a risk if it turns out to be worth something?鈥� he encouraged.

• Tags:
• Geosciences
• Graduating Seniors