Anna McGovern’s Penn State journey began in 2019. She was fresh out of high school and inspired by family tradition and the electric atmosphere of a football game at Beaver Stadium.
But the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the first of several setbacks that interrupted her progress and led her to pursue her Penn State degree online.
McGovern ultimately realized that learning online suited her needs, and this switch fueled a time of self-discovery for her in which she thrived and succeeded. She discovered new interests, completed a confidence-building internship, and made progress on a schedule that fit her goals.
Always resilient, she finished her journey in August, graduating with a bachelor’s degree she completed online through Penn State World Campus.
“Graduating was the most satisfying moment of my life,” McGovern said. “The journey was really tough — it honestly made school feel like an uphill battle most of the time. Walking across that stage felt unreal, like all the hard nights and setbacks finally paid off.”
McGovern’s success story is part of a new yearlong series, “This is Success: Online learners show what’s possible,” which will explore Penn State World Campus students’ successes during all parts of their academic journeys.
Searching for the right fit
When McGovern came to Penn State as a first-year student, she expected to spend the next four years there. Midway through her second semester, the pandemic forced McGovern to move home and attend classes online. She switched to Penn State World Campus and found she liked the flexibility of asynchronous learning.
However, McGovern took a year off to focus on her mental health. When she returned to University Park, she was diagnosed with severe ADHD. The diagnosis brought some clarity to why she previously felt she couldn’t do what she needed.
As much as she loved University Park, she determined that an on-campus program wasn’t the best fit for her success; learning online was.
Finding herself and finding success
Another important part of her journey was a part-time job on a farm while taking a break from school.
“I worked with kids and taught them how to plant vegetables, how to cook food from the farm, and how to care for animals,” she said.
The joy of the experience led her to pursue working with children full-time as a special education paraprofessional at an elementary school in fall 2023.
“I loved it,” she said. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had. My life just started coming together.”
McGovern worked through her online courses and, for the first time, felt healthy in all aspects of her life. She even made the dean’s list, something she said she didn’t think was possible.
She decided to major in human development and family studies, a field where she thought she had the best chance to make a difference, after exploring areas like criminal justice, psychology, and geography.
“I want to do something that is for the greater good of children, but maybe not necessarily with children,” she said.
Now knowing what impact she wants to make, McGovern began the final push toward finishing her degree. Her major requires an internship, and she completed one through WaterFire Providence, a nonprofit arts organization in Providence, Rhode Island, near her home in Massachusetts.
She was part of planning and executing community events, and she worked closely with staff and volunteers. The experience pushed her out of her comfort zone, helped build her self-confidence, and has her thinking she would like to work for a nonprofit in Boston.
“I learned how capable I am and that I can contribute in ways I didn’t always believe before,” McGovern said.
Additionally, through her course work, she explored ADHD and learned the timeline for diagnosis differs between women and men. She wrote a research paper, and the assignment helped her further understand her own experience, which was one of the crystallizing events that led her to the new path.
Celebrating her journey
With a sense of direction and confidence, McGovern graduated on August 16 with her bachelor’s degree.
Her family, including her grandmother, watched as she received her Penn State diploma, just as she had planned when she originally began her Penn State studies at the University Park campus.
“In 2020, I never thought I’d be able to cross that stage,” McGovern said. “Graduation was one of the first times I felt really proud of myself.”
