Coming to DePaul, I wanted to capitalize on my niches of writing and politics. At school, there were many clubs and organizations that touch on one of these topics, but not both. Then came then-Odyssey editor-in-chief Jenna, who posted about Odyssey on my classwide Facebook group. And just like that, the rest is history. Then on August 22, 2017, my first article for this publication went live.

Fast forward a year later, and needless to say writing for Odyssey has opened many doors. It's become a fantastic resume builder. In fact, for many internship interviews, I've highlighted my works for Odyssey that reflect my knowledge of politics. And in the process, I met so many other amazing people that write in the DePaul chapter that come from all walks of life.

But ultimately, Odyssey has shown me what it means to be responsible and communicative. Sure, I will admit, there have been times where writer's block hit me like a train, or sometimes I didn't feel like writing at all. In the end, it was the sense of professionalism and uniformity of Odyssey's publishing cycle that gets me to submit something before the 5 p.m. deadline every Wednesday night.

Also prior to joining this awesome publication, I was always on the timid side when it comes to getting into the swing of new things. Normally, I kept quiet when it came to my opinions on certain things. And this is where I think the most beautiful thing about Odyssey comes into play: your voice matters, and you can virtually write about anything that interests you. Unlike other social platforms, the page views are not the highest priority; it is what ultimately about what interests you as a writer.

So this is my little blurb/toast to my one-year anniversary here at Odyssey. If you're a DePaul student happening to be reading this, consider joining this if you haven't already. Or if you're reading this from another school, see if your school has a chapter and consider joining it.

Regardless of whether you're a frequent reader or an occasional reader of my, or any other article here on this site, thank you. In the meantime, I'll be here, as I usually am.