Isaac Lursen is walking across two different stages this year to accept two different diplomas.

Lursen, 18, walked across the first one Thursday night at Iowa Central Community College to receive his associate degree.

Next, he will accept his high school diploma from St. Edmond High School on May 20.

Lursen is the only student at St. Edmond to accomplish the feat of graduating high school and college simultaneously this year.

The key was taking multiple dual credit classes, he said. Those classes count for both high school and college credits.

“I took a lot of dual credit classes and online classes,” he said. “This year I started going out to Iowa Central to take physical classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.”

During his first semester, he also took classes at Iowa Central on Tuesday and Thursday.

“It’s been pretty hard to do all that and still have sports and any form of social life,” he said.

Lursen played football, basketball, and soccer at St. Edmond. He also served on student council.

On a typical day, Lursen attended classes at Iowa Central in the morning and returned to St. Edmond for Spanish class and religion class.

Lursen plans to attend Wartburg College in Waverly where he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

That should only take him about two years to achieve, he said.

He is continuing his football career at Wartburg. Lursen set multiple receiving records during his days at St. Edmond.

“I am looking forward to going to Wartburg and being on my own and putting everything I have gained from this to the test,” he said. “As of right now, I am feeling a lot of senioritis. I am ready to move on for sure.”

After Wartburg, he plans to attend Iowa State University in Ames to obtain a master’s degree in engineering.

His ultimate goal is to return to Fort Dodge and work alongside his grandfather, who owns F M Controls, Inc., of Duncombe.

Lursen said the most important lesson he has learned is to work hard.

“The hard work and perseverance,” he said. “When something is hard, it’s easy to throw in the towel and give up and not have to do it. But it definitely pays off in the end if you stick it out.”