I started writing for Odyssey over a year ago. October of 2018, to be exact. At the time, I did not know this, but it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

As an English Major, I write a lot, but it is always a long essay that I usually did not care about and only had to do it for a grade.

So when I was asked to join Rowan University's Odyssey team, I felt apprehensive because all I did was write, and I didn't know how I would feel by adding more writing on top of my workload. Little did I know that Odyssey would rekindle my love of writing.

I was given the freedom to write on whatever I wanted to.

I've written things that I was passionate about, like Sugarland, letters to people I care about, my mental health, and my experiences. Also, I've written things that I put together 45 minutes before the article was due.

I've gotten as high as 2,300 views and as low as 2 views.

I've once had my former community college share an article of mine, but most of the time, my articles were being shared by my fan club – my mom.

Yet, no matter the article, no matter the number of views, and no matter who was sharing it, I was able to do the thing that I love to do the most. Write.

I loved being able to sit down once or a few times a week and write something meaningful to me and a few dozen other people. I was excited to brainstorm ideas and then put those ideas out into the world.

But most importantly, Odyssey gave me a voice. It let me say what I wanted to say, when I wanted to.

Odyssey will always have a special place in my heart. But many months and articles later, I have come to the decision that this is the moment where I need to say goodbye.

I did not plan on leaving Odyssey so soon, but with this being my final semester and the most important semester of my college undergrad career, I need to make sure I am staying focused on everything I have to do school.

I hope to one day be able to do something similar to Odyssey and be able to write just for fun.

But, for now, it's time to say goodbye.

So, without further ado, I would like to thank the Rowan University Odyssey team for being so wonderful to work with, the Odyssey platform for allowing young adults to express themselves, and my friends and family who have supported me throughout this journey.

I am forever grateful for this experience.

Thank you.