Student Spotlight: How Jeanne Delahunty found acceptance and accessibility through UC Online

While Jeanne Delahunty knew she wanted to finish her bachelor’s degree, she didn’t want it to dominate her life. Some of her many responsibilities include coparenting four cats, singing in local choral groups, and performing at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. Going back to school had to fit within the rest of her busy life.

She found the perfect program at the University of Cincinnati. 

Through UC’s online Bachelor of Arts in Communication, Jeanne has been able to continue her degree on her own terms. She's met a like-minded community of online learners and instructors along the way.

What can you do with a communication degree? Given how communication is foundational to numerous career paths, the answer is: almost anything. 

Some students might find that too broad for their liking. Without a clear path from classroom to career, they struggle to decide where to go next.  But for others, the versatility of a communication degree fits their career goals and interests perfectly.  

For Jeanne, who has been “some flavor of administrative assistant” her entire professional life, communications has allowed her to hone the skills she's already spent decades building.

"I like to describe my job as ‘organizing people who are too busy to organize themselves’,” Jeanne said. “I've worked with aircraft engineers, machinists, optometrists, and now cardiothoracic surgeons—helping people who are very smart and successful keep their lives in order while they're busy doing more important things!” 

Jeanne hails from upstate New York, but she thinks of herself as “a bit from everywhere.” At age 41, she has lived in central Florida, rural Virginia, and now Cincinnati. She put down roots in the Queen City in 2005 and currently works as an administrative assistant at UC Health. While enrolling in a traditional on-campus program at UC was an option, Jeanne needed more flexibility. 

Enter UC’s fully online, asynchronous bachelor’s degree in communication. Finding it was a light-bulb moment for Jeanne.   

“I work full time and have several hobbies that keep me very busy beyond the 9-to-5,” she said, “so I knew I couldn’t fit in standard classroom time. Having a fully online and asynchronous program was the main selling point in my decision to return to school after a ten-year hiatus.”

When asked about her favorite professors, Jeanne spoke highly of Dr. Michelle Colpean. 

Along with being an associate professor, Dr. Colpean also serves as program director of UC’s online communication degree. She’s a passionate advocate for the importance of communication, and that passion spills into her teaching. Awards for Faculty Excellence and Faculty Teaching from UC’s School of Communication, Film, and Media Studies reaffirm that fact. 

According to Dr. Colpean, many people take the study of communication for granted. 

“Studying communication gives us a chance to do a deep dive into a foundational mode of engaging with the world,” she said.  

In her fourteen years of teaching at the college level, Dr. Colpean has seen first-hand the critical thinking, listening, and writing skills that communication students develop. They don’t end up pigeon-holed into a singular career trajectory; rather, they can pursue virtually any path in which they’re interested due to the universal applicability of the curriculum.

“I recently heard a colleague explain it this way: a communication degree won’t necessarily teach you how to do one particular job, but it will make you better at whatever job you choose to do,” she said.

Human resources, sales, marketing, administrative management—these are just several careers in which she’s seen past students find success. Other online UC communication alumni have continued onto a diverse array of graduate programs, including education, public health, and social media marketing.

And regardless of where graduates land, a communication degree also serves as a launching point for upward mobility. While Jeanne’s current role is a good fit, earning her degree will only expand her career options moving forward. After all, skills like public speaking and persuasion are crucial in leadership roles.  

The flexibility of online learning has helped Jeanne balance work and school, but that’s not all. It’s also changed how she approaches her education as a neurodivergent learner. 

“Being able to work asynchronously completely changed my outlook on school,” Jeanne reflected. “When I was in school in the early 2000's, I wasn't aware of my neurodivergence, and I certainly didn't have the tools to manage my needs and prevent burnout.” 

Neurodivergence, as defined by Cleveland Clinic, describes when a person’s “brain differences affect how their brain works,” resulting in strengths and challenges that differ from people without those brain differences. Learners who are aware of their neurodivergence can often use that knowledge to adapt their approach and succeed—whether in school or another area of their life. 

By returning to school later in life, Jeanne brings a much better understanding of her learning style to her online classes. She can tailor her education to her preferences and needs. 

Paired with the last twenty years of technological advancement, the online format makes it much easier to keep up with assignments and retain what she’s learning. 

“I'm able to work in smaller time periods or multi-task effectively to keep my focus,” she said.  

She doesn’t have to worry about losing focus in an overstimulating on-campus environment, or struggling to concentrate during an in-person lecture while taking notes. Online learning eliminates these types of on-campus obstacles and makes learning more accessible for everyone.  

“One of my favorite things to do is have my school reading pulled up online and use a screen reader to listen to it like an audiobook,” Jeanne added. “I can follow along visually, if needed, but oftentimes I will instead busy my hands with some kind of craft project. It may look like doing too much at once, but having my hands occupied has always helped me focus. And there's the bonus of having a pretty craft done at the end of my schoolwork, too!” 

Multiple communication faculty members have commended Jeanne for her impressive GPA. It's further proof of how she’s thrived in an online learning environment. 

Along with the neuroinclusive aspect of the program, Jeanne’s UC Online experience has also affirmed her personal identity. She’s learned along like-minded peers and instructors, finding community where she hadn’t initially expected it. 

“Many of my teachers have specifically called out the importance of hearing from marginalized and underserved voices,” she said.  

Dr. Colpean, who teaches courses such as Gender and Communication and Contemporary Issues in Communication, is just one example. Courses like these have exposed Jeanne to new voices and widened her worldview.

Another of Jeanne's favorite professors, Dr. Cassidy Ellis, teaches rhetorical theory and interpersonal communication. While courses like these aren’t related specifically to identity, they’ve given Jeanne further opportunities to sharpen her writing and deepen her engagement with unfamiliar or complex material. 

“The last time I was in school, I was still figuring out my own identity,” Jeanne said. “And I lived in the Deep South, so even if I had known it, it wasn't a time or place where I could have been 'loud and proud.' Now, however, hearing from several professors that my voice and life experiences are specifically wanted and valuable? Priceless.”

Jeanne will graduate in 2027. As she approaches this milestone, what’s been going through her head? 

Rather than setting her sights on the future, Jeanne is settled firmly in the present—reflecting on what this accomplishment has meant for her. 

“My goal in coming back to school was wholly personal,” she said. “I had been to college a few different times—after finishing high school, and again once in my late 20s and again in my 30s. So my goal, honestly, was just to prove to myself that I could do it. It has been incredibly rewarding to have the opportunity to invest in myself, even if for no other reason than just to say that I did it.”

Graduation will mark the end of Jeanne’s program, but the connections she's made at UC are far from over. Online learners are Bearcats for Life, after all! 

Dr. Colpean echoed this sentiment. It’s her hope that communication graduates remember their connections with faculty and classmates. Online learners often worry about building relationships in a virtual environment, but time and time again, they graduate with a wide professional network of peers and instructors, both locally and sometimes across the country. 

“The time in the classroom is fleeting, but the relationships don’t have to be—we are invested in them!” Dr. Colpean said. “I hope our students know we are here to strategize their next steps and celebrate their victories down the road.”

Jeanne’s story is a shining example of how transformative online learning can be—even when you think it’s too late to finish what you started. 

When asked her advice for online learners, Jeanne shared, “Take your time. The experience can be really rewarding, but you don't have to rush it, either.” 

At the University of Cincinnati, we feel the same as Jeanne. Your education isn’t something you should rush into without thinking through your options and goals. That’s why our team of Enrollment Services Advisors are here to offer you individualized support and answer your questions.

There’s never any pressure. We want to help you make the right choice for what you want out of online learning, whether that’s an online Bachelor of Arts in Communication or another one of our online undergraduate programs.  

Connect with us today and see where that first step can take you.