overcoming adversity and achieving dreams through higher education
Thank you so much to those of you that were able to join us either in person or via Zoom as we celebrated the incredible and resilient UW Odyssey Project Class of 2023 on May 3! The evening began with moving words from Dean Jeffrey Russell and Odyssey Director of Adult Education, Kevin Mullen. Then …
2022 UW Odyssey Project graduation ceremony Odyssey Class of 2022 student video 2022 graduation photo gallery 2022 graduation Oracle
When Senator Tammy Baldwin visited the Odyssey Project, she asked alumni in the room how they discovered the free UW humanities program. Michelle Bozeman responded: “You asked me, ‘Did I find Odyssey or did Odyssey find me?’ My answer is, ‘We found each other because we needed each other.’” Michelle then shared her 30-year journey …
“One of the most impactful programs in our state, the UW Odyssey Project has completely transformed my life and the lives of many others,” noted Corey Saffold as he donned cap and gown this month to mark his bachelor’s degree. Corey, whose daughter and grandson graduated from Odyssey and Odyssey Junior, credits the multigenerational Odyssey …
“I’m just so honored to support the Odyssey Project,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin last month when she visited Odyssey’s home in South Madison, adding that she felt “proud to bring home $500,000 in new federal funds to help adults facing economic barriers to college.” Senator Baldwin praised Odyssey’s “whole family approach” to breaking the cycle …
Will you sponsor one or more of our 30 Odyssey Project graduates this year as they receive UW–Madison credits during another difficult year? While reading Plato, studying Frida Kahlo, and acting out scenes from Lorraine Hansberry, students have contracted COVID themselves; others have lost loved ones and fought against depression, homelessness, and unemployment. Show them …
We love supporting Odyssey graduates as they go on after our two-semester jump-start humanities course to earn certificates, two-year, four-year, and advanced degrees. The photo collage above celebrates eight Odyssey alumni who earned degrees in 2021 despite the pandemic. Other alumni will receive degrees in May 2022. Please help us continue supporting more Odyssey students …
“Odyssey is a major reason why I have succeeded. It was my foundation, my stepping stone, to overcoming so many obstacles.” So said Dominique Christian, Odyssey Class of 2009, who earned her master’s degree in social work (MSW) last month from the UW–Madison. Other Odyssey graduates earning May 2021 bachelor’s degrees include Tasha McKenzie (Edgewood …
“It was a full circle moment for me,” says Odyssey alum Hedi Rudd ’12, as she snapped pictures of the graduating Class of 2021 and their families. “I remember the day my class got our photos taken and how good I felt about myself. I cried. Now nine years later as the photographer, I want …
The UW Odyssey Project, First Unitarian Society, and MOSES Team invite you to a viewing of College Behind Bars, a film by Lynn Novick, as part of the First Friday Film Series on August 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join us as we “explore the transformative power of education through the eyes of a dozen incarcerated men and women trying …