Jaylon Martin has made history: He's the first student to receive a bachelor's degree through Wake Tech's partnership with East Carolina University.

Martin earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology, with a concentration in mechanical design, from ECU in 2022 – without ever having to leave Wake Tech's Southern Wake Campus in Raleigh. 

"I was just going through courses, grinding away at them," he said. He didn't realize he was soon to become the first to complete a degree through the new partnership program. 

Martin started classes at Wake Tech in the spring of 2020 because "it was convenient." As a resident of Fuquay-Varina and a graduate of Fuquay-Varina High School, he was familiar with the Southern Wake Campus, right up the road. "It was close for me, so I didn't have a long commute," he said.

He decided to major in Mechanical Engineering Technology because he liked the scope of the discipline. "It's a field that involves everything," he said. "You learn about pumps and systems, values and motors and hydraulics. You can do a lot of different things with it."

After starting the program, Martin learned that, through a new partnership with ECU, his Wake Tech degree would transfer seamlessly to ECU's Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology program. Some of the courses could be taken online, and others would be offered in person at Wake Tech.

"That's what really sold me," he said. "I didn't want to have to commute to Greenville or to move there. I looked at some other colleges, but I really didn't want to have to make a move. It worked out perfectly with ECU."

Shortly after graduating from Wake Tech, Martin attended a career fair at the Southern Wake Campus and was hired by RoviSys, an automation and integration company headquartered in Holly Springs. He started as an intern before becoming a full-time employee, and the company even provided tuition assistance as he continued his education through ECU. 

Martin admits it wasn't easy to balance full-time work and family obligations with his academic goals. "It was a lot of late nights," he says.

But his hard work paid off. With his bachelor's degree, he received a promotion and new responsibilities at RoviSys – and he's not done yet! He's been accepted into ECU's master's degree program and believes that next step will help him continue to advance at RoviSys.

"I'm looking to grow within that company," he says.