From Perth to Pittsburgh: One Graduate’s Journey to LRU

Some graduates walk across the stage after four years. Deklyn Simms ’26 walked across it after three colleges, two countries, and a global pandemic.

The Perth, Australia, native dreamed of playing college basketball since childhood, training at a semi-professional level by his final year of high school. When a coach encouraged Deklyn to pursue U.S. college athletics, he committed to his first school just as COVID-19 shut down international travel. On one of the last flights out of Australia, Deklyn joined a plane full of college students pursuing the same dream. Six months later, he was back home.

The next stop was another school, another obstacle, and another trip home. Deklyn transferred to a second university but left six credits short of an associate degree with no clear way to bridge the gap in time. He returned home again, this time for a full year, working in geotechnical testing to help fund the remainder of his education.

In 2024, Deklyn arrived at La Roche University not to start over, but to finish. The University met him where he was, accepting nearly all of his transfer credits and providing a scholarship package that made completing his degree possible.

“During my time at La Roche, I never once felt like walking away,” he said. “It felt different, and I was very grateful for the connections that I’d formed with coaches, professors, teammates, and others.”

Beyond the classroom, Deklyn served as Director of International Students in the Student Government Association, a role he described as the most meaningful of his college experience.

Working alongside students from different backgrounds broadened his perspective and reinforced the value of listening to others’ experiences.

“If I can come away with a different perspective from others by just listening and understanding what they’ve been through, it puts me in a better place to finish my journey,” he said. “I’m proud to call La Roche that ending place.”

In May 2026, Deklyn graduated from La Roche with a Bachelor of Business Administration, becoming the first person in his family to earn a college degree. Drawn to analytics and problem-solving, he hopes to pursue a career in business advisory services. 

“Everyone gets a degree, but not everyone’s story is the same,” he said. “I know what it feels like to be exhausted and uncertain and far from home. But these are all things that added depth to my story.”