Liam Drennan Blakeway

“I never thought Penn would be on my radar at all. I didn’t think it would be a possibility, so I didn’t dream about it,” shares Liam Blakeway (BAAS ’26—expected). As a nontraditional student starting college in his mid-thirties, Liam thought a four-year degree—not to mention one from an Ivy League school—was out of reach. Through Penn LPS Online’s Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences, however, Liam is making an impossible dream a reality.

After completing high school in his hometown of Johannesburg, South Africa, Liam dedicated himself to building a career. “I worked my way up the corporate ladder and had a successful life. Then COVID hit and everything fell apart,” he shares. The pandemic drastically transformed Liam’s priorities. “I suddenly realized, when the world came crashing down, that there's more to life than just working nine to (in those days) almost 11 at night.”

Resolved to make a big change, Liam sold what he could of his belongings, packed up the rest, and moved to the United States with a plan to earn an associate degree. “I never had that opportunity to get a higher education outside of high school, so I decided to invest in myself,” he explains. Settling in Houston, Texas, where his partner had family, Liam enrolled at Lone Star College-CyFair.

At first, he found it difficult to adjust. A newcomer to the US and an older student starting as a freshman, Liam says he was reserved, hiding under a baseball cap and mask. “I was scared to engage with individuals,” he admits. That changed when his strong grades earned him an invitation to join the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK). “I got involved with the chapter and I started engaging with other students—students from different backgrounds and different cultures,” he shares. “What PTK did for me was give me the opportunity to lower that shield, to find fellow students who want to excel and want to see each other excel and help where they can. That drove my focus into uplifting other individuals.”

Liam got involved in group research projects and leadership roles with the organization. He became his PTK chapter’s president and was later elected to serve as the 2023-24 PTK international president, travelling across the globe to speak to other student-members. “I basically got to share my story about embracing second chances and opportunities that are afforded to you,” he says.

Along the way, Liam found that he had a passion for education and storytelling, and he was encouraged by PTK’s student relations team to consider transferring to a bachelor’s degree program—an academic path he hadn’t considered before. “I didn't think a four-year degree would be something I would be able to obtain. Being an older student, you have these expectations that if you didn't get that degree when you were younger, you're not going to get it now,” he says.

Liam was encouraged to consider the bachelor’s degree with Penn’s LPS Online program, and put in touch with Kathy Urban, the director of undergraduate programs at Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The two met at the Penn LPS Online table during a 2023 PTK transfer fair, where Kathy helped further convince Liam that the BAAS program was a possibility.

“Kathy didn't care where I was from or that I was turning 40 soon or anything like that. It was just about making sure that whatever dreams I had in education, the BAAS was something that was available at Penn and something that I could pursue in a framework that suits my needs when it comes to working and studying,” he says. With the BAAS, he realized, he could advance his education in subjects of interest at a prestigious school. And he could study part time without relocating.

Kathy also shared that Penn LPS Online offers a competitive Phi Theta Kappa scholarship, which would put the BAAS in reach financially for Liam. “When I started engaging and investigating the program, I got excited and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, Penn could potentially be an option!’”

Not only was Liam accepted into the program for fall 2024, he was also awarded the PTK scholarship. And upon starting at Penn, half of his BAAS degree requirements were fulfilled by transfer credits.

Liam’s first course at Penn was Digital Literacy and Cultural Change with Dr. Clay Colmon. He found the online platform user-friendly, and Dr. Colmon an engaging and caring instructor. The course content had practical applications that were aligned with Liam’s interests working in digital communications. “I thought, if this is how all the courses are going to be, I'm on board!”

A spring 1 course, The Power of Storytelling with Dr. Fayyaz Vellani, also proved relevant to Liam’s everyday job. “The BAAS courses are designed with a workforce-ready aspect; You're learning stuff that you're going to utilize immediately,” he shares. “I'm learning a lot about social media, digital rhetoric, and storytelling,” he says, which are directly related to his work sharing student stories via social media. Additionally, Dr. Vellani’s class is helping Liam refine a manuscript he has written about his life called Embrace the Reset: Fearlessly Pursuing Your Second Chance.

For his BAAS degree concentration, Liam is pursuing Creative Studies, which blends creative writing and digital strategies courses. He plans to complete his bachelor’s degree in 2026 and continue a career in the storytelling space, encouraging others to pursue their dreams. “Through education I really found my passion for education and uplifting other people,” he says.

Liam hopes his story will continue to inspire PTK students to find their path. “PTK members are high-achieving, competitive individuals. Don’t be scared to explore,” he advises. “Four years ago, when I decided to come to the United States, I never would have thought of trying to get a degree from an Ivy League school or any university beyond community college. The entire journey opened that up for me and gave me the opportunity to see that I have what it takes to pursue something further.”