From Adversity to Achievement: ODUGlobal Student Shares Inspirational Journey

Celeste Harrell has always had the itch to return to college.

Harrell, a longtime federal employee for Customs and Border Control, had selflessly put off her dream several times since financial issues caused her to walk away from college shortly after high school.

She had a full-time job. She and her husband just bought a house. She had twin girls, and their success became Harrell’s driving force.  

“Good excuses,” Harrell called them. “I just kept pushing higher education aside as I tried to be the best mother I could be. But for years I told my girls to belief in themselves and work for their dreams. And then they threw it right back in my face.”

After her daughters finished college, they told Celeste it was finally her time to fulfill her dream and return to school. Harrell also gained a different perspective on chasing her dreams after experiencing severe health scares while her daughters attended Old Dominion University, where she is now set to graduate in May.

She contracted Legionnaire’s Disease at a hotel in 2019, which led to pneumonia and organ complications and stays in the hospital battling the illness. The disease created long-term respiratory issues and forced her to work remotely full-time to avoid pollutants and allergens that could affect her breathing.

After the bout with Legionnaire’s Disease, Harrell had an issue with a blood vessel in her brain that doctors said was dangerously close to being fatal.

“I was lucky to be alive two different times,” she said. “But it also gave me a different perspective. You’re only here for so long, so you must make it count.”

Harrell’s health restrictions made online learning a necessity. She thought ODUGlobal would be the best bet for her based on the diverse online degree options available and her family’s familiarity with attending ODU. She immediately found validation in the choice when she connected with ODUGlobal’s Elaine Hardin, the director of intake and student success.

Hardin, then a student success coordinator, went to bat to help Harrell receive the maximum transfer credits possible from her past college experience. Those additional credits helped push her farther down the road to graduation. “It meant so much, that Elaine cared about someone she didn’t really know,” Harrell said.

Now Harrell is poised to graduate in May with an online bachelor’s degree in leadership. Staff at ODUGlobal, she said, have continually checked in to make sure everything is going smoothly.

“ODUGlobal truly wants students to succeed,” Harrell said. “You feel like a Monarch from the first time you speak with someone at the university, and you understand they will do everything they can to empower you as you finish your degree. This is the village we have at ODUGlobal."

This past November, Celeste Harrell received more tough health news when doctors told her she was suffering from heart failure. Despite her diagnosis, Harrell remains undeterred.

“I’m so proud of my mom,” said her daughter Jordyn Harrell ‘22 (bachelor's in exercise science). “She’s a perfect example of someone who keeps after something once she sets her mind to it. She’s worked so hard to get where she is, and she’s overcome so much.”

Jasmyn Harrell, who received a BA in Communication in 2021, added, “She’s a true example of what it means when, regardless of your circumstances, you look for the positive. You buckle down and still make it work, and it’s never too late to go for your goals.”

Harrell is undergoing medical treatment, but she believes her coursework has given her a way to cope with her health challenges. As she stays focused on receiving her diploma in person in May, she stays optimistic and motivated, embodying her belief in never giving up on life or education.  

“I didn’t give up on life when I had the issues in the past,” Harrell said. “I’m not giving up now. And I’m certainly not giving up on my education now that I’m here. I’m going to finish what I started.”