After a 24-year career break to support her husband's military service, Daisy Arenas '26 returned to school and completed her accounting degree in May through ODUGlobal, funded by military education benefits.
Twenty-four years is a long time to put a dream on hold.
But for Daisy Arenas ’26, that span was long enough to know what she wanted when she finally came back to it.
Arenas, who is completing her accounting degree through ODUGlobal, began her career in accounting before stepping away for over two decades to support her husband's 20-year Navy career and raise a family. The skills required for that life, such as adaptability, resilience, and the ability to build something new in unfamiliar places, turned out to be what she needed when she returned to school.
“The degree took courage, commitment and adaptability to attain,” Arenas said. “Qualities I developed through our military journey that continue to guide me in life.”
Arenas found a natural fit in ODU's online accounting program. The university holds separate Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation in accounting, a distinction held by relatively few institutions and a signal of program quality that matters to employers and credentialing bodies. It also carries a military pathway agreement that grants academic credit for military service and training, a provision that rewarded what Arenas had already lived. Funded through education benefits her husband earned through his service, she completed nine full-time semesters without the financial barriers that had once held her back.
“Completing my accounting degree feels like coming full circle, a reclaiming of a path I once put on hold, but now with a deeper sense of purpose shaped by my life experiences and maturity,” Arenas said.
That maturity shows how she navigated the program. As an online student and self-described introvert, she was deliberate about building connections where she could find them. She said her academic advisor, Adrienne Giles, became a steadying presence over three years, anticipating questions before Arenas thought to ask them and encouraging her to convert a psychology minor into a full second major, a pivot Arenas believes will open doors to managerial opportunities she hadn't originally considered.
The degree also shifted something in how she sees herself professionally. Credentials like the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), once out of reach in her mind, now feel within grasp. She has already earned Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks certifications, gained experience with tools like Alteryx and IBM SPSS, and will begin an audit internship in summer 2026.
“The program has helped me see myself as someone capable of pursuing professional credentials,” Arenas said. “That shift in mindset has been just as valuable as the technical knowledge I've gained.”
Interested in following the same path as Arenas? Learn more about ODU's online accounting program.
