{{Short description|American scholar (1984–2007)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2019}} '''Devin Thomas Gaines''' (July 16, 1984 – July 10, 2007) was a college student at the University of Connecticut who attracted media attention by earning five bachelor's degrees simultaneously on May 6, 2007. Months later, he died in a drowning accident.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-07-12 |title=Accomplished graduate drowns |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19719373 |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life== Gaines, from Stamford, Connecticut, was raised in childhood by his single mother in public housing after his father died of a heart attack when Gaines was nine years old.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/2007/07/11/drowning-ends-bright-life/|title=Drowning Ends Bright Life|work=tribunedigital-thecourant|access-date=2018-10-06|language=en|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075854/http://articles.courant.com/2007-07-11/news/0707110583_1_quarry-police-patrols-sand-and-gravel|url-status=live}}</ref> He attended both King Low Heywood Thomas School and Stamford High School, graduating from the latter. After high school graduation, Gaines was accepted at the University of Connecticut, where he was the recipient of a University of Connecticut leadership scholarship, and a scholarship from the Jackie Robinson Foundation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.diverseeducation.com:80/artman/publish/article_7325.shtml|title=Best and Brightest: Five Years, Five Degrees For One UConn Student|date=2007-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713082729/http://www.diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_7325.shtml|access-date=2018-10-06|archive-date=July 13, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>
Gaines then matriculated at the University of Connecticut in 2002, graduating five years later in May 2007 with five bachelor's degrees. During his time at Connecticut, Gaines completed 276 credits, earning bachelor's degrees in computer science, cognitive science, theater studies, linguistics, psychology, and an individualized degree in cinema, culture and cognition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_8289.shtml|title=Best and Brightest' Scholar's Promising Future Ends Tragically|date=2007-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715141612/http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_8289.shtml|access-date=2018-10-06|archive-date=July 15, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna19719373|title=Accomplished graduate drowns|date=2007-07-12|work=msnbc.com|access-date=2018-10-06|language=en|archive-date=October 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013135341/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/19719373/ns/us_news-life/t/accomplished-graduate-drowns|url-status=live}}</ref>
While at Connecticut, Gaines was inducted as a member of the Psi Chi and Upsilon Pi Epsilon honor societies, and had been accepted for a master's degree in educational communication and technology at New York University.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == At the time of his death, Gaines was working as an information technology associate for Pension Associates, a tax consulting firm.{{cn|date=May 2026}}
==Death and memorials== On July 10, 2007, Gaines, aged 22, drowned in Deep River, Connecticut, in Blakeslee Pond, a gravel pit quarry on private property, while swimming with friends in an area marked "No Trespassing" which was known to be hazardous to swimmers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/nyregion/11mbrfs-drown.html|title=Deep River: Man Who Earned Five Degrees Drowns|work=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press|access-date=2018-10-06|language=en|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075604/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/nyregion/11mbrfs-drown.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://connecticut.news12.com/story/34858126/stamford-man-drowns-in-blakeslee-pond |title=Stamford man drowns in Blakeslee Pond |publisher=News 12 Connecticut |date=2007-07-10 |access-date=2019-07-23 |archive-date=June 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630130049/http://connecticut.news12.com/story/34858126/stamford-man-drowns-in-blakeslee-pond |url-status=live }}</ref> His death was ruled an accidental drowning. According to quotes from his sister, Gaines was not a swimmer.{{cn|date=May 2026}}
After his death, the University of Connecticut pre-engineering program established a scholarship program in Gaines's memory,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/2007/08/03/in-our-towns-1550/|title=In Our Towns|work=tribunedigital-thecourant|access-date=2018-10-06|language=en|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006080128/http://articles.courant.com/2007-08-03/news/0708030028_1_chinese-students-town-s-resident-state-trooper-route|url-status=live}}</ref> and the university's Stamford campus renamed its student activities center the Devin T. Gaines Student Involvement and Activities Center in his honor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehour.com/stamford/article/UConn-Stamford-dedicates-room-for-Devin-Gaines-8251047.php|title=UConn Stamford dedicates room for Devin Gaines|date=2008-08-26|work=The Hour|access-date=2018-10-06|archive-date=October 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006075515/https://www.thehour.com/stamford/article/UConn-Stamford-dedicates-room-for-Devin-Gaines-8251047.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaines, Devin}} Category:1984 births Category:2007 deaths Category:University of Connecticut alumni Category:Deaths by drowning in Connecticut Category:Stamford High School (Stamford, Connecticut) alumni