Meeting someone in Maricopa who was actually born in Maricopa is about as likely as the driver of the dented 2016 Nissan Altima going 60 mph in the left lane in front of you on State Route 347 actually moving over.

Joseph Merchant does things a little differently — he was born in Maricopa and then moved to Illinois, not the other way around. And he’s killing it as a student-athlete at Rockford University, about 90 miles west of Chicago.

The freshman defensive lineman for Rockford University’s Lions football team on Friday was named to the college dean’s list. He is a 2023 graduate of Desert Vista High School in Tempe who previously attended Legacy Traditional School and Santa Rosa Elementary School in Maricopa.

Merchant’s family moved to The Lakes at Rancho El Dorado more than two decades ago, the accomplished young college student told InMaricopa Friday, during his trip home to The Lakes for Christmas break.

“Seeing the city grow was a cool thing,” the local native reflected. “It was such a small-town feel, and now we’re close to hundreds of thousands of people.”

Merchant said he was excited to see the new Home Depot up and running near The Wells, which wasn’t there last time he visited home.

“It’s really exciting to see a lot more people coming in, meeting new neighbors and making new friends,” he said.

As for his home away from home in Rockford, Ill., Merchant’s first reaction was: “It’s cold.”

“I saw snow for the first couple of times … It’s really, really cold,” he said. “Coming from a Maricopa native getting used to snowfall and below-freezing temperatures — it’s a whole different look for me. But it’s nice to get a change.”

The dean’s list member and athlete said academics are the top priority. Though he spends up to three hours every day weightlifting and practicing with the team, Merchant said he is majoring in mechanical engineering with aspirations of owning his own mechanic shop after Pomp and Circumstance. Working on cars “brings out a joy for me,” he said.

“I schedule my college life, so to speak, around my classes,” Merchant said. Speaking of football, he added: “It takes a toll on your studies and your social life. Take time for yourself, that’s my advice.”

Rockford University is a private four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields.