UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Amelia Old’s path is shaped by the world around her. A curiosity to learn and a willingness to repeatedly step outside her comfort zone, she said, have taken her across the globe. An award-winning travel journalist who has decades of experience working in the media industry, Old has worked as a talent and casting agent and a producer, and has even owned her own agency.
“To me, it’s not five different careers,” she said. “I am a media producer.”
Today, she specializes in podcasting and content creation, and continues to work in film and television. She also is a wife and mother who lives on a small farm in South Carolina, and now a Penn State graduate who earned her degree online through Penn State World Campus.
A career in media
Old began her journey in media as a young adult, primarily focusing on television and film, while also enjoying writing about beauty and fashion.
The pandemic in 2020 brought travel journalism to a halt, and Old said she found herself at a crossroads. She launched a podcast and started to think about pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
“I did not have the same opportunities when I was younger that my husband and I work to give our children,” Old said. Her career was busy, and she found fulfilling work without needing a degree. “It was more of something I wanted to do for myself.”
A bachelor’s program that fit her life
When Old first enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Digital Journalism and Media program at Penn State, she was interested in TV broadcast journalism.
“When I was a little girl, I didn’t have the Barbie car,” she said. “I had the Barbie newsroom.”
A course on news principles during her first semester changed her career aspirations, she said. Her professor, Curtis Chandler, said something that resonated.
“Do you want to tell the news, or do you want to be a storyteller,” she recalled him saying.
Old said she realized her established base in media could help her continue storytelling.
Balancing school, work, and life
Like her travels across the world, Old said, her educational experience has been a journey that she persevered through.
Old continued traveling for work assignments while enrolled in online courses, including several seasons of Southern Charm and Southern Hospitality for Bravo. She said she realized early on that depending on her projected work schedule, she was more successful with a part-time course load.
“People want to make it happen right now,” she said about finishing her degree. “But it’s not going anywhere. It’s about doing what works for you and understanding that it doesn’t have to be this fast race. You’re just racing against yourself.”
Old continues to host a travel podcast and works across different media formats. In November 2025, she traveled to China with the country’s tourism board and produced eight video podcast episodes.
Old worked with a translator and said the experience allowed her to learn and grow as a storyteller.
“While China was very challenging for me in a lot of different ways, I enjoyed that because I learned so much and I was able to help them [the tourism board], as well,” she said.
Making a difference
Old’s passion for exploring the world and helping those around her has turned into writing, volunteer work, and community leadership. After delays due to Hurricane Helene relief efforts and caring for a family member, Old published her first book in April, 100 Things to Do in South Carolina Before You Die.
Old emphasized that it was important for her to visit many of the locations included in the book and to feature lesser-known sites across the state.
“It was important for me to highlight smaller things people may not be aware of,” she said. “Some of the history here is good and some of it’s not good, but it was important to showcase things people can learn from.”
Her podcast episode about a small town in North Carolina that welcomed travelers following Hurricane Helene later earned a North American Travel Journalists Association Award.
Old is active in her community and serves on the board of Cancer for College, which provides scholarships for cancer survivors. She and her husband also hiked to Mount Everest Base Camp, documenting the experience through media while raising more than $25,000 for charity. The effort later led to the creation of their own family scholarship.
“You just don’t know the ripple effect of something that you do,” she said.
After five years of hard work, Old celebrated her academic journey during commencement weekend at Penn State University Park in May while continuing onto the next step of her career.
“I’ve had success in different parts of my career,” she said, “but I’m not done yet. There’s still more I want to achieve.”