Kat,

I remember the first time we had a call on Google Hangouts. Me: a nervous wreck because I wasn't sure if I would get along with you and if I would meet your expectations. You: an extremely outgoing and encouraging human who made me feel so comfortable, as if I had known you for a lifetime.

After just a couple weeks of working with you, it became so easy to chat like we were great friends. Not once did I feel like you were just a boss to me. You acted, first and foremost, as a friend who actually wanted to get to know who I was as a person. After all, isn't that what The Odyssey is all about? Getting to know writers and learning about what makes them the people they are? At the same time, your bluntness and willingness to provide constructive criticism allowed me to grow as an Editor-in-Chief and person in general.

Never before did I have a boss who told me I could do anything I set my mind to. Not only this, but you constantly reminded me of my strengths and never let me feel discouraged by any roadblocks I was encountering. With your help, I grew tremendously as an Editor-in-Chief. You showed me how important it is to see all of my writers as unique people with their own strengths and weaknesses. You even knew my creators by name, and that is quite an achievement given that you had hundreds of creators under your EICs!

Even more important than the managerial and interpersonal skills you bestowed upon me was the friendship you offered and continue to offer! Your title of boss never once made the friendships you made with your EICs strange or awkward in any way. Rather, you see us simply as humans with our own unique traits and characteristics.

Thank you so much for that. It's a debt I could never repay.

Love,

Your ULM EIC