After Decades in Journalism, ODU Student Embarks on a Mission to Empower Through Reading

Geri Tucker ’24 spent a career working with words. 

She started crafting poems in high school and college before embarking on a longtime career as a newspaper reporter and editor, piecing together national headlines for more than 30 years at USA Today. 

A lifetime spent on storytelling will continue through her latest achievement, a master’s degree in education with a concentration in reading through ODUGlobal. Tucker, who at 72 will be ODU’s oldest graduate in the Fall 2024 Commencement, is ready to give the gift of words to children in her northern Virginia community of Alexandria. 

Tucker plans to teach children with reading or learning disorders as a volunteer tutor and teacher at her local church and with other nonprofits. 

“Words have been the foundation of everything I’ve done,” said Tucker, who will receive her master’s nearly 50 years to the day after she got her bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College. “But what good are words if you can’t access them? Helping others learn to read feels like the ultimate way to give back.” 

A testament to her resilience and passion for lifelong learning, Tucker’s journey is one of determination, reinvention and a commitment to making a difference. 

Tucker received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but her love for writing pushed her toward communications and telling the stories of her communities. 

“I didn’t study journalism in school, but I always loved writing,” Tucker shared. “An advisor suggested I give reporting a try, and I never looked back.” 

Tucker worked at the Akron Beacon-Journal and the Detroit Free Press before landing at USA Today not long after the paper first started publishing in the early 1980s. She spent more than a decade as the deputy managing editor of the Money section of USA Today, helping inform readers across the nation about business news. 

Tucker loved working at USA Today, but she felt she had unfinished business after she left journalism in 2013. That missing piece led her back to education. 

She started at a master’s program in creative writing at George Mason University in the 1980s, but she found balancing college with her journalism career and being a mother to a young son with autism challenging. 

After leaving journalism, she felt a pull back to creative writing, but she realized her passion was to help others read. Meeting children who struggled to read unlocked a new world of potential. 

“It struck me—how could I, someone whose entire life was built on the power of words, not do something about it?” Tucker asked. 

Tucker found her answer through ODUGlobal. The university’s flexible online programs allowed her to pursue her degree without compromising her mobility or lifestyle. 

“ODU was perfect. The online format, the quality of the program, and the incredible support I received made it possible,” Tucker said. “At 72, I couldn’t imagine trekking across campus with books. ODUGlobal gave me the freedom to achieve my goal.” 

With her degree in hand, Tucker plans to dedicate her time to volunteering with children who need help with reading. Her church, Alfred Street Baptist Church, has a vibrant tutorial program where she intends to serve. Additionally, she’s exploring opportunities with local nonprofits to work with children both in person and online. She has also contributed an essay about raising a child with a developmental disability to a book, “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men.” 

“My goal isn’t to work for pay. It’s to make an impact,” Tucker said. “There’s so much I’ve gained in life through education and reading. I want to help open that door for others, and I really feel like I can do some good in the world. And I feel like the world could use a little more of that.”