Courtney Burno '26 wants to work in non-profit leadership, advocating for access and helping other people find resources they need to get unstuck. After facing several academic interruptions, she's earned her bachelor's degree online while balancing parenting, post-military life and her own professional development.
For Courtney Burno ’26, a degree is about more than earning a diploma and a qualification. It’s about finishing a journey she started more than a decade ago, sitting in her first college class. Now she’s preparing to turn her resolve to finish into her next chapter.
Like many students, Burno faced interruptions and financial challenges during college, and when life got in the way, school had to be set aside. But years later, after completing military service and starting a family, she decided it was time to invest in herself. She wanted a cup to pour from so she could advocate for others. Without a degree and the right preparation, she couldn’t pursue the roles that would let her make the most impact.
Burno works in financial aid for an HBCU institution in Virginia. She helps students troubleshoot obstacles every day, and there she discovered a gap in their access to funding and information before college—a gap bigger than high school counselors can fill. It’s not just a lack of information about college. Young adults also need everyday life skills and practical knowledge, from budgeting to securing housing.
That sent her searching for a bachelor’s degree program that would prepare her to pursue nonprofit leadership, accommodate her busy schedule and leverage credits she already earned with her associate degree.
“There's just such a lack of accessibility—not that the knowledge, tools or resources aren't there,” Burno said. “But how do we get people access to these things? That's what I want to do in nonprofit work. I want to make sure that people have actual access to resources.”
Old Dominion University wasn’t Burno’s first college education experience. She first enrolled in a local community college in New Jersey, which was the most affordable option at the time. Then halfway through her program, her military family moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to restart school, but she didn’t have the funds to continue. That’s when she joined the U.S. Army in 2012 and continued working after her four-year contract until 2020. She was an automated logistical specialist, handling procurement and accounting duties.
“I thought that it would be an easier transition from active duty to civilian, but it has not been,” Burno said. “My military experience prepared me for hardship. The outside world is not as streamlined. But it has prepared me in the way of discipline and having the fortitude to keep going.”
She restarted college as a nursing student, but Burno said it felt like fulfilling other people’s dreams for her life rather than her own. With just ten months left in the program, she decided this path didn’t sit well in her spirit and took a break to reevaluate her direction.
“I was not fulfilled, and I think if you are in positions where you are caring so deeply and earnestly for others, you should probably be passionate about it. So I left, and I thought, ‘What does Courtney want to do? What are Courtney's passions?’”
That’s when ODU entered the picture. Burno’s sister is a 2014 ODU alumna who spoke highly of her student experience. Burno started as an accounting major because it aligned most closely with the work she’d already done in the military, but she knew she needed to make another adjustment.
For Burno, it was always about perseverance and access—making sure she could help people get what they need to move forward. So she transferred her associate degree credits into the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a major in Leadership. The online program was designed to help her leverage previously earned credits and continue working while studying. She fit school into every corner of her life, including conferences and her children's nighttime and weekend activities.
“Time was always the biggest and only challenge. As a non-traditional student in their thirties, I wasn't sure how I would fit in my studies and all of the work that needed to be done,” Burno said. “But online learning gave me the ability to juggle and have a better schedule with my responsibilities.”
She graduated in May 2026 with her bachelor’s degree. Now she’s preparing to start the online Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Multi-Sector Public Service through ODUGlobal this October. She hopes to work in government, environmental policy, or in non-profits that shape housing and education.
“My goal has always been to educate, to help streamline solutions to people's problems, and to advocate. I know my degree from ODU will be the catalyst for moving me forward. Having a bachelor's from ODU will get me into the rooms where I need to be in the non-profit or educational sectors that I'm aiming to be more a part of.”
