Slippery Rock University has over 8,000 different students all from various backgrounds. Learning about a certain individual has shown a story of resilience a reader would never expect. Resilience being the ability to cope with and overcome adversity. Alex O'Dea is the embodiment of this definition as his academic career is a comeback story like no other.
Alex O'Dea first came to Slippery Rock University not knowing what he wanted to do with his life. Determined to make friends, he joined an organization here on campus and has been enjoying it these past couple of years.
Alex O'Dea in front of a waterfall in Oregon
It was not until January for 2020 where Alex O'Dea started struggling and where his path of life made a quick pit stop. Taking a medical withdrawal from the university, O'Dea needed to figure out what was best for him.
After leaving college, O'Dea had an argument with his parents on where exactly he would be going from there on. After a brutal discussion, O'Dea was on his own. With no where to go, he had to fend for himself to live a quality life.
Determining first a way to make money, O'Dea became a mechanic to earn some kind of income and pay off any student loans he had at the time. He then later signed a half-lease in the South Hills.
"I don't really remember much during this time, it felt like I was on autopilot with work," O'Dea mentions.
After two years of work, O'Dea now had his student loans paid off, but still had no idea what exactly was going on. After an altercation with a roommate, O'Dea left his current residence and decided it was time for something to change.
After leaving his apartment, O'Dea would go from friend to friend for a few days at a time and sometimes even sleep in his car. Still working as a mechanic to support himself, he realized this cannot be what happens for the rest of his life.
He took his car and started traveling. He said it didn't matter where exactly he went, he just knows where ever he is, it will be better than Pittsburgh.
He mentions how his trip to Oregon was the most memorable of all his travels and helped push him to start becoming the person he is today.
"Being out there by myself really showed me I can do anything I really wanted to," O'Dea said. "Everything doesn't have to be so complicated."
Alex O'Dea takes a photo in the wilderness in Oregon
After coming back to Pennsylvania, O'Dea decided school was something he needed to complete. He had already built a family
at Slippery Rock University, and wanted to do what he wanted to.
Like most things in life, one must fall down in order to get back up. After leaving school for so long, O'Dea decided to become a Converged Journalism major at school again.
"After traveling the country during my break from school, I want to see what else is out there in the world and report on it," said O'Dea.
Coming back to school was the first task on his list and he says if it weren't for student support he would not know what to do.
SRU has helped O'Dea so much with finding a place to stay, providing funding for his education and even providing funds for simply living on campus. With all the help he received he was able to do better with his classes and reconnect with some old friends.
As he has come back to being a student, O'Dea needed to make some changes in order to become a better person than he was in 2020. Wanting to adjust not only during the pandemic but within a new major, O'Dea made sure to capitalize on the opportunity SRU has given him.
Looking back on the past two years, O'Dea is proud of the journey he has taken. From sleeping in his car to now moving into a home with friends, O'Dea could not be more grateful.
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