This week marks my last week with Odyssey as Editor in Chief (EIC) before I leave to study abroad in Sydney, Australia. Although I don’t leave for the land down under until January, I felt it was best it give up my position early to allow a smoother transition for the next EIC. After having held my editor position for almost two years, I’ve come to cradle my experience Odyssey as a child: I sometimes want to kill it, but will do anything to take care of it and do what’s best for it. I’ve faced numerous obstacles in this leadership role; however, I have earned some of my biggest accomplishments, developed significant relationships that will last much longer than my time at Odyssey, learned life-long lessons, and essentially built Odyssey’s community at U of M from the ground up. As I say the most bittersweet goodbye I have ever said with tears in my eyes, I thought I would share what I’ve learned as Editor in Chief of Odyssey at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

1. An Editor in Chief is more than just an editor.

“What do you do? Edit articles?” is what most people ask when I tell them about my Editor in Chief position at Odyssey. The answer is yes; however, I do so much more than that. In fact, I wouldn’t even say editing articles is my top priority as EIC. My main focus as EIC has always been to be a leader. As EIC, it is up to me to cultivate an impactful and supportive community of writers. I do this by generating meaningful conversations within our team of writers, hosting monthly meetings and recruiting the right people for our Odyssey community. As the face of Odyssey at Minnesota, it is up to me to get people to care about who we are and what we do. It is up to me to not only get them to care, but to get them to keep caring. Although this is the biggest obstacle I consistently face as EIC, it’s the most important and it teaches me so much about the importance of strong communication and leadership.

2. Follow through.

Setting goals and expectations for your team is vital toward success and forward movement. However, if the leader doesn’t follow through or meet his/her end of the bargain, why should the rest of the pack follow? For example, if I tell a potential applicant to be on time for his/her interview, I make sure I call them for their interview at the exact time I schedule it. Not a minute earlier, not a minute later. If I can’t be on time, it sets a precedent for them, one that says that they don’t have to be on time either. Whether it’s as simple as calling someone on time or promising a growth our community, I work tirelessly to meet the expectations I set forth. And if I fail to meet my own expectations, I am transparent about it by explaining why. There have been times where I have said, “I’m sorry. I have dropped the ball and it has affected our entire team.” However, I always make sure to follow-up with, “This will not happen again, and I will do better.” Mistakes will happen and sometimes you will fall short, but acknowledging those mistakes and showing your attempt to learn from them shows your team your commitment. It goes such. a. long. way.

3. Listen to your team.

In my fourth or fifth month as EIC, my team’s numbers were at their absolute lowest. After months of increasing team members and page views, we all of a sudden tanked. My gut feeling was frustration. What is wrong with my writers? They can’t just leave my team! They are submitting content that I know they don’t care about. They know better than this! Why is this happening?? I need to make changes and enforce consequences NOW. These were the initial thoughts racing through my mind. Instead, I should have been vocalizing these questions to my writers with an intent to listen and understand. They were clearly struggling. Why? What do they need from me? What do they think I should do better as a leader and editor to help them stay on our team and produce content they care about? It was after I listened to their dissent that I understood what my team needed to move forward. It is never about what I need. It is always about what my team needs.

4. People will disappoint you.

I’ve realized that I can give a writer every single tool to succeed with Odyssey, and sometimes they will still disappoint me, whether that be by writing content that is of a quality far below their potential or quitting after four weeks. When I’d encounter these disappointments, I would immediately place the blame on myself. What did I do wrong? What did I say that drove them away or made them not want to care? What could I have done better? What should I change about the way I train them, talk to them and edit their articles? Although it’s important to consider these questions, one may not always find the answers to them.

This is because not everyone shares the same drive as I do. No matter how hard I try to get people to care about Odyssey, not everyone will share the same passion for it as I do. Not everyone will see my vision. This is OK, because other people will. There are other people out there, especially at the University of Minnesota, who have a sense of ambition that is perfect for Odyssey. There are people out there who will care and share my vision of where I see Odyssey now versus where I want it to be. This writer who just disappointed me was not one of those people, and I am now one step closer to finding the right people. I’ll let this one go and continue to look forward.

5. People will surprise you in amazing ways and change your life.

For every one person that disappoints me, there are about ten or so who pleasantly surprise me and/or exceed my expectations. Every week, I have the opportunity to read over 20 articles. What’s great about this is that every single one of these articles offers something unique, whether it be that it makes me laugh, makes me cry, alters my perspectives or preconceptions on a topic or issue, or teaches me something I’ve never even thought of. I meet every single one of my writers face-to-face before they start writing with Odyssey, but I get to peel back a layer to their character every week through their writing. Although they seem like ordinary college students looking for a writing opportunity on campus, I get to learn about their life experiences, knowledge, aspirations, struggles and accomplishments every single week. This is amazing!

Reflecting on a more long-term scale, my role as EIC allows me to see people grow, and it is truly one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences I have had the pleasure of having at such a young age. Whether it be in his/her writing or how he/she contributes as a team member, seeing someone develop throughout their time with Odyssey warms my heart because I’d like to think that I had just the tiniest bit of influence on their growth.

Before I sign off, there are a million people I would like to thank who have guided me and supported me through this role. I’d like to thank Ashley Fogarty for introducing me to Odyssey and Kohlman Harshbarger for acquainting me with Odyssey as a writer and selecting me for the EIC role. I’d like to thank Sarah Han and Alyssa Hodenfield for being awesome Social Media Directors and my rocks during their time with Odyssey. I’d like to thank Chris and Meredith, my past Managing Editors, for providing their encouragement every week while pushing my team and I to reach our goals every month. I’d like to thank Tom, my current managing editor. Although our time working together has been quite short, you have been extremely supportive and flexible during this transition period. I know my next EIC is in good hands with you!

I’d like to thank Courtney Paganelli for being my first ever Contributing Editor (CE) and just, everything. You are a bright light to this world, and have so much to offer. You were “my person” through a very challenging semester with Odyssey, and being able to depend on you and turn to you for ideas or words of encouragement is what truly got me through that difficult time. I will never forget my experiences with you. I would like to thank my Kelly Allen and Annie Burdick, my current contributing editors, for their hard work and their commitment to Odyssey. Although I wish I had longer to work with both of you, I know you both will continue to carry Odyssey to even higher heights. Make me proud!!

I would like to thank my parents for their unconditional support and for picking up the phone whenever I needed advice and/or a place to vent. I would like to thank my sorority and close friends for their support during this role. You all lift me up and inspire me to do great things, Odyssey related and non-Odyssey related. I’d like to thank the University of Minnesota campus for engaging with Odyssey, whether it be by talking about Odyssey, reading our articles or sharing our articles on social media. Your support and engagement is what motivates our team to produce quality content every single week. You are what makes our platform tick.

Last, but certainly not least. I would like to thank every single writer I have ever worked with at Odyssey. Some of you made me cry, some of you made me laugh, some of you made me smile, some of you made me want to tear my hair out of my own scalp, but most of you made me proud and taught me something about writing, the editing process, Odyssey, myself or leadership. I am grateful for every one of my experiences and encounters with you. Our team at Minnesota would not be what it is today without your hard work and meaningful contributions. I know writing for Odyssey can be challenging and overwhelming at times, but I promise you it pays off. It is something I can truly see week-to-week.

Annie, you know how hard this position is for me to pass down, but knowing that I’m leaving it in your hands adds a great deal of comfort. You are one of the most creative and passionate people I know. Utilize your strengths, and you will do great things with Odyssey. Know that you can always ask for help, whether it be from me, Kelly, Tom or someone else on our team. I’m so excited to see your success in this role!