A heartfelt letter, a love of learning, and one young future student already imagining life at MSJ.
At just 7 years old, Lucas Phelps already has his sights set on college — and more specifically, on attending Mount St. Joseph University. After school one afternoon, Lucas rushed out of the building clutching an important piece of paper and a mission for his dad: they needed to go see the University President immediately because Lucas had written a letter announcing his readiness for college.
In his handwritten note to MSJ, Lucas proudly explained why he believes he is prepared for higher education:
“Dear MSJ I want to go to college because, at 6, I solved 9 x 9 = 81 and clocks that is why I want to come.”
For Lucas, “solving clocks” means reading time on a traditional analog clock — a skill he proudly counts among his accomplishments. He signed the letter with confidence, adding a few extra details to strengthen his case:
“Dear Lucas Phelps. My dad works there. I am so smart.”
Lucas’s father, Kory Phelps, serves dual roles at Mount St. Joseph University as a faculty member of Psychology and Associate Director of the Learning Commons. Kory says Lucas has recently become fascinated with the idea of attending college early — or even skipping grades altogether.
Though he may still have a few years before officially enrolling, Lucas is already embracing the curiosity, confidence, and love of learning that define the Mount community — proving that while his college timeline may be ambitious, when it comes to dreaming big, he is already ahead of schedule!
