On May 2nd, 2016, my first Odyssey article was published on the worldwide web for all to see. Back then, I was an insecure 17-year old who was absolutely terrified to have her name on the screens of readers across the globe.

I almost didn't join Odyssey. When I was given the opportunity via my English teacher, I nearly walked away. "I'm not good enough," I confided in my best friend, "they're going to reject me." Yet, somehow I was persuaded to go in for a video interview. At the end of the call, my interviewer asked me for a sample article. In writing my sample article, I fell head-over-heels in love. I loved late nights working and scribbling down ideas, workshopping with colleagues, and getting advice from people I looked up to. I was the most dedicated to something I'd ever been, and I wasn't even accepted into the community yet. When I got the email from our then-EIC, Kelly, I was overjoyed. Writing for Odyssey became my everything; it was a stepping stone into the world I wanted to be a part of post-college.

Week after week, I submitted and shared my Odyssey articles on all my social media platforms and built a brand for myself. People knew who I was just because they had seen an article of mine on Facebook or Twitter. I was thanked for putting people's thoughts into words; I had written a very personal article, and a boy that I hadn't spoken to in over a year reached out to me and told me he was "always here for me if I needed him." Odyssey showed me the connections to people I never knew I had.

Nearly 8 months after becoming a dedicated writer, I was asked to become Editor-In-Chief of my community. After my college search, I was confident that being an editor was my dream job, and here was an opportunity to be such, knocking at my door. I jumped at the chance immediately. Being a new EIC was not easy, and I lost many writers along the way, but I now have a second family in my team. Our numbers dropped significantly; from 30+ writers to now 18, I almost threw in the towel. It felt like every week I would lose a writer, and that was hard for me. All I wanted to do was build these Creators up into stronger people. However, if Odyssey has taught me anything, it is that people will come and go, but so long as you have positively impacted one person, you have done your job.

I, along with thousands of other EICs, work our hardest each and every day to edit content and push our Creators to be the absolute best writer they can be. But we don't just edit. We chat with our teams every day, send each other selfies, give (and get!) life advice, and just support each other. We're one giant family. My team is my family, as are my fellow EICs.

Yes, my job as an Editor-In-Chief is hard work and it can be tough to never have an "off button." I'm 18 years old and I work constantly; vacations aren't work breaks and you don't get sick days. But never in my life have I ever experienced a job so rewarding. Watching writers develop and seeing first-hand how successful they become (as people as well as authors) gives me a feeling of happiness I will never be able to put into words. This past year has been one of growth, love, and support for both me and every single one of the Creators that have joined the team. I could not be more appreciative and full of passion for what I do. So thank you, Odyssey, from the bottom of my heart for giving me the opportunity to live my dream at such a young age. I am forever grateful.