Student stories

Five Odyssey alumni share how writing has helped shape their life and the world.

After serving 38 years in prison, Robert Taliaferro returned home in January 2022. As he walked away from Oakhill Correctional Institution in Oregon, Wisconsin, he carried with him more than 175 college credits and a resume that included editing an award-winning prison newspaper.

After struggling in college and being academically dismissed, Tyler Johnston returned to finish his degree at UW–Madison with personal determination and tailored campus support.

Dr. Sammy K. Ngichabe knew that if he learned to improve medical systems and processes, he could make a difference in global and maternal healthcare. In July 2020 he was part of a United Nations medical team that received an award for innovative use of data during the COVID 19 emergency response aimed at streamlining operations and improving health and safety.

There are many paths on the way to get your degree, and some include Summer Finish scholarships! Each year, UW–Madison students who are just a few courses away from graduation can apply for a $1,000 scholarship to help them complete their degree during Summer Term.

Dan Barry transferred from Madison Area Technical College to UW-Madison Online, where he’ll earn his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Business Administration–Management while continuing to work and raise his family.

Meet the three recipients of the 2022 Outstanding Undergraduate Returning Adult Student Award, recognizing the perseverance and leadership of returning adult students.

Badger Precollege helps students along their personal path to higher education, but don’t take our word for it. Below, a few of our former students — all of them now enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison — share how Badger Precollege has helped them transition to life and learning in college.

For Nicole Knutson, it was never  if  she would get a college degree, it was  when . She loved academics. But after high school, about…

Jason Glomp plans to use his degree in political science and certificate in public policy to support workers, labor unions and nonprofits.

Online classes helped two students meet their personal and professional development goals.

Kristy Jorgensen and Alex Hentzen are among 9,805 students 25 years old and older who were enrolled spring 2019 through 2020 at UW-Madison. Read about their challenges and triumphs.

Offered through UW–Madison Continuing Studies, the class gives students the skills to develop a professional specialty in the growing field of grief support.

In his village of Koumea in Togo, Africa, 8-year-old Hezouwe Walada watched nearly half of his community—including three of his young cousins—die of malaria in early 2000. He decided then and there he wanted to become a doctor. After 20 years, nearly 6,000 miles and a host of trials and tribulations, Walada started at the University of Wisconsin–Madison through the Odyssey Project.

Brian Benford describes his educational journey as full of “potholes, roadblocks, angst and unfulfilled dreams. Starting in the 1970s, I attended many schools only to…

Not only is learning a language great for your brain, but it can also provide a sense of community—and it’s fun.

A cadre of dedicated Italian language students hungry for more in-depth study lobbied UW–Madison Continuing Studies to revive a class that had been shelved for…

For the Willihnganzs and a longtime friend, helping professions are a family affair. Melodie Willihnganz is a doctor of audiology. Her daughter Molly Willihnganz is…

The online grief course is September 20-November 18 and the in-person program is Thursday-Sunday, October 24-27 and Saturday, December 7.

International students come to UW–Madison for its high ranking academics, influential research and faculty, beautiful lakeside setting, and welcoming atmosphere.

Norman, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at UW Credit Union, manages by connecting deeply with individuals and offering new perspectives to solve problems.

Lynne Prost, a faculty associate in the UW-Madison department of biochemistry, used a university professional development grant to complete the 16-week Professional Certificate in Online Education and build her expertise in online teaching.

Odyssey provides adults facing economic barriers with a chance to start college for free

Continuing Studies offers a comprehensive noncredit Spanish language program.