University of Delaware communication major Dylan Marx would appear to be the poster boy for “chill.” He loped through Trabant University Center one recent morning like he had all the time in the world, his blonde curls bouncing as he ambled up the steps. But don’t mistake this communication major’s relaxed vibe for lack of fire.

Marx will receive his bachelor’s degree this week at the age of 19, after sailing through UD in just two years, and with a GPA of 3.98. He managed to pack a lot into his time at the University, from working as a staff reporter for the student newspaper The Review to two internships. Plus, he won the Hal Kierce Award, which recognizes the top public relations student.    

“Dylan is a machine at getting things done,” said Carolyn White Bartoo, a senior instructor in the Department of Communication. “He is exceedingly curious and picks up things really quickly. It’s a delight to teach someone with such a fertile mind.”

Marx took two classes with Bartoo last semester before becoming her teaching assistant this semester for her course in public relations writing. 

“He’s great working with his peers and anticipates what I need and what the students need,” Bartoo said. “He’s also a lovely, kind and gentle person.”

Most of Marx’s classmates had no idea of his age or his academic pace, and that was the way he liked it. But when people did learn about his lightning-fast progress, you can bet there were questions. 

“The most common question was, ‘How did I do it?’” Marx said.     

Downplaying his achievement, he simply noted that he thrives on a fast pace. 

“My early graduation came about in part because of the classes I took in high school; I did a lot of AP classes and dual enrollment classes at my local community college,” he said. “I came into UD with either 54 or 56 credits. I started taking advanced classes in middle school, and it was my parents’ idea initially. I’m grateful that they encouraged me to challenge myself.”

One of his favorite classes was the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Bateman Case Study Competition, taught by Chanda Gilmore, an instructor in the Department of Communication. Offered at universities nationwide, this competition challenges teams of students to research, implement and evaluate a public relations campaign for an actual client. 

“You need a real passion for public relations, a strategic mindset and a go-getter attitude to take on a nationwide competition like Bateman — and Dylan truly embodied all of that. His enthusiasm and determination stood out from the beginning,” Gilmore said.

The client chosen for Marx and his teammates was EveryLibrary, a nonprofit that builds support for libraries. He found this to be a fitting match. 

“I spent a lot of time at the library these last two years,” he said. “I put the time and the work in, which meant a lot of hours in the library.” 

Marx also loves to be outside, but that doesn’t mean flopped in a chaise lounge, snoozing.  

“I am a big outdoor person, so I will find the spaces where I can be outside, working on my computer and still checking things off my to-do list,” he said. “I love going to the [Newark] reservoir; that’s kind of my cool-down spot. After a long day I’ll go there and watch the sun set.”  

Marx’s motivation for fast-tracking college was simple.

“Coming into UD, I got to skip all those Gen Ed classes and jump right into the classes that really interested me,” he said. “I quickly realized, ‘Okay, this is what I want to be doing.’ There’s the appeal of getting out in the field two years early and getting the hands-on experience of doing what I want to be doing.”  

As to what’s next, he would like to work in a public relations agency and eventually be in a leadership role. But more immediately, he has big plans to unwind and actually be the poster boy for “chill.”         

“Since I’m graduating early, I decided to treat myself to the summer off,” he said. “I’ll be traveling to a bunch of different national parks — I’ve never been to any of them. I’m going out West alone but starting with a little practice trip to Acadia [National Park] with some friends right after graduation.”