Kiersten Kelleher earned her BSBA at UMSL and is beginning work on her MBA this fall. She has already taken part in two study abroad programs in her time at UMSL and is planning a third in Ecuador. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
By Kala Dunn, University Advancement
Education opens doors. For University of Missouri–St. Louis student Kiersten Kelleher, those open doors have taken her further from home than she expected.
With two study abroad experiences already under her belt and one more planned, Kelleher has turned her love for globetrotting into an international educational experience that sets her apart from her peers. A 2024 expedition to Bremen, Germany, ignited her enthusiasm for studying abroad.
“I love traveling and going out of the country, but I never thought I could do it in school,” Kelleher said. “Through study abroad, I was in Bremen for about a month. It was awesome being able to see the culture and walking around the city and getting lost. The teachers that taught in Bremen were great, and the students still have a WhatsApp group chat to stay in touch.”
Kelleher came back from that first study abroad adventure with new friends, college credit toward her degree and valuable travel experience. One thing she didn’t bring back was a large tuition bill.
“Scholarships definitely helped,” she said. “It was definitely more affordable than I thought.”
In fact, scholarships were a big part of Kelleher’s decision to come to UMSL in the first place. She completed her associate degree at Lincoln Land Community College right after high school, then worked at a coffee company for nine years before transitioning to marketing. With her professional life already in full swing, returning to school seemed unattainable.
“I took an untraditional route where I gained a lot of experience, but in the back of my head I knew I always wanted to get that bachelor’s or master’s degree,” Kelleher said. “When I reached out to UMSL and talked to advisors, they made it happen. But it really happened because they were able to offer a lot of scholarships I didn’t know existed. That was very helpful in the journey of coming to UMSL.”
A student in the Ed G. Smith College of Business, Kelleher was awarded the Curators merit scholarship, the Edward Jones Alumni Scholarship, and the COBA Strong Scholarship. She has put those investments in her education to good use, finding so much success in her UMSL journey that she plans to extend it as she pursues her MBA.
“I thought I would get my bachelor’s in business and be done and go out into the world,” she said. “But then someone approached me about the advanced master’s program. They told me that since I took four graduate-level classes during my undergrad, I will only have seven classes left to finish my master’s after I graduate this summer. I thought, ‘Well, that’s a no-brainer!’ So, I start in the fall.”
That return to school also allowed Kelleher a chance to return to Germany this summer through a second study abroad program in Aschaffenburg, where she collaborated with students from Missouri, Finland, Portugal, Italy and Germany on a marketing project for a German winery.
“This year, I went back to a different city near Frankfurt,” Kelleher said. “And then during my master’s degree, I saw there will be a trip to Quito, Ecuador, so I am planning to go on that, too. Looking back, I think taking two study abroad trips in a year is an incredible opportunity.”
Aside from the chance to earn a degree and bolster her impressive resume by studying all over the world, Kelleher cites the UMSL faculty as the most meaningful part of her undergraduate education.
“All of the teachers and professors I’ve had have been amazing,” she said. “They will meet with you after hours. They’ll answer your calls or texts or emails. It has been such a great experience all around, and it makes me excited to be able to say I graduated from UMSL.”
Your gift to the UMSL Scholarship Fund makes educational experiences like this possible for students like Kelleher. Learn more about the Complete the Puzzle campaign and how your gift can help UMSL students.
