A Fresh Start: Odyssey Brown’s Story
She graduated high school 20 years ago, but an opportunity to climb the career ladder inspired Odyssey Brown to seek higher education. She came to Schoolcraft College at 40 years old to chase her passion, and the Schoolcraft College Foundation is supporting her journey.
Brown was a customs broker for 10 years until a career change in October 2025 brought her to Wilson International as a quality analyst. Further growth meant she needed a Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Supply Chain Management, and Brown was ready for the challenge. A daunting task ahead, she sought out the Foundation to assist. Her bravery in renewing her education as an adult learner showcased a drive to succeed, and the Foundation provided her with the resources to do so, resulting in her being awarded the Edward C. and Hazel L. Stephenson Scholarship Fund.
“I’m glad that the Foundation invested time in me,” Brown said. “They were also giving me great advice during the interview. I love the fact that they gave me a scholarship, it’s helping me with my books, it’s helping a lot.”
Brown had heard about Schoolcraft extensive Supply Chain Management program, which inspired her to enroll. Most of her full-time course load is online while she works from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the week, which allows her to balance work and education while caring for her family.
“My son is in the culinary arts program. He just graduated high school last year. My husband is in the fire academy. He just got through his EMT training in the winter semester, so he passed that. Now he just started at the fire academy. Being in school also motivates my husband. I’m proud of him and my son. If they see me succeed, they’ll succeed.”
Her efforts inspired her family to follow suit and gives her the passion to keep moving forward. Customs and regulatory laws aren’t going away anytime soon, which gives Brown a sense of stability in her world of imports and exports alongside the reassurance that she’s not alone at Schoolcraft.
“My job is actually proud of me being in school,” Brown said. “They said if I need to take classes during work hours they’ll work with me. They’ll move my time around; I can move overnight if I have to. They’re proud of me. They’re bragging about me at work. Especially when I got the Stephenson Scholarship. It’s nice.”
Brown hopes to graduate from Schoolcraft by the summer of 2027. She plans to use atransfer pathway to transition to Wayne State University or Eastern Michigan University. Once she earns her Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Supply Chain Management, she hopes to earn a Master of Business Administration and climb the career ladder at Wilson International. In the meantime, she is committed to honoring Stephenson’s enduring commitment to student success by showing her family that it’s never too late to start again.
About the Edward C. and Hazel L. Stephenson Scholarship:
The Edward C. and Hazel L. Stephenson Scholarship Fund is a permanently endowed scholarship established through the Schoolcraft College Foundation that has supported recipients since 2003. It is available to full-time students enrolled at Schoolcraft with 12 or more credit hours and a high school or college GPA of 3.2. Stephenson Scholars are chosen to recognize strong academic achievement and support by covering tuition, fees and books so they can focus on their education and future goals.
This and other scholarships are made possible through Scholarship Universe.