Passport to Knowledge: An Educational Adventure with ODUGlobal

Zara Kelly's workspace is ever-changing.  

One week, the ODUGlobal student connects her headphones and opens her laptop on an airplane for her online classes. The next week, the setting could be a train rolling across Central Europe or a cafe overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Fueled by her desire for a college education that transcended borders and allowed her to explore the world, Kelly chose to earn her degree online through ODUGlobal.

"I wanted to get a degree and experience all life has to offer at the same time," said Kelly, who will actually earn two bachelor of science degrees in leadership and in human services this May. “ODUGlobal meant I didn't have to wait until graduation to have these moments. I'm seeing the world through different lenses, and my education is paralleling my growth in life. ODUGlobal has been a perfect fit.”

Kelly lives just outside of Warsaw, Poland and works as an intern at a school while handling an asynchronous courseload that allows her to complete her coursework on her own time.

"I wouldn't be able to travel or work the same without the asynchronous option," Kelly said. "That was a huge selling point for me. I'm six hours ahead of Norfolk, so attending synchronous lectures live would be challenging. There's so much flexibility with ODUGlobal."

Despite being continents away from the physical campus now, Kelly grew up in Suffolk, Virginia, not far from Old Dominion University (ODU). Her mother is an ODU alumna who traveled to New Zealand and Southeast Asia when she was younger. Her father is Irish, and Kelly grew up traveling through Europe and Central America. She covered her childhood bedroom walls with travel pictures and posters.

Kelly's dreams always revolved around seeing the world, and the loss of a family member while she was a high school student served as a catalyst for chasing her dreams.

"Life is short, and I thought that I needed to do what I wanted to do, not what I'm supposed to do," Kelly said.

Kelly gained Irish citizenship through her father and her parents encouraged her to follow her desired path. She had a connection to Poland through her boyfriend, a Polish student whom she met through a cultural exchange program, and moved outside of Warsaw two months after high school graduation in 2020.

"It's truly inspiring to witness Zara's unwavering dedication to her dreams of world exploration while pursuing her degree online," said Lisa Kivin, ODUGlobal's associate vice president for student experience who also was a professor and mentor for Kelly. "Her journey exemplifies the incredible possibilities that arise when you’re determined to live life to the fullest while advancing your education. ODUGlobal takes pride in supporting students like Zara as they navigate their path toward achieving their dreams and expanding their horizons."  

Kelly's horizons have expanded across Europe. She’s traveled to France, Austria, Hungary, Ireland, England, Switzerland, Croatia, Greece and across Poland. She's fallen in love with the Tuscany region of Italy and made multiple trips back to Portugal. The flexibility and ease of online learning through ODUGlobal have ensured Kelly's education remains accessible whenever needed.  

On each trip, Kelly has her laptop in tow, always ready for a lecture or a project, even if she’s in an alpine mountain hut in the Swiss Alps.  

"My goal was to immerse myself in other cultures, and as soon as I started taking my ODU classes, I knew I could live both of these lives – as the student and the traveler – seamlessly," said Kelly, whose future travel aspirations include the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and Sweden. "I'm a traditional college student in terms of age, but I'm going through a nontraditional path, and it works perfectly for me. It was the best decision, and I don't think anyone should feel like they must follow a prescribed experience. Chart your own path."