Last May I had just come home from school and I was trying to find ways to entertain myself until my internship started when I saw a Facebook post about an opportunity to write for a new publication hoping to come to OU. I was curious and bored so I went online to theodysseyonline.com and applied. I had no idea then that I would be chosen to be Editor-in-Chief. I had no idea I would get the chance to work closely with talented managing editors in New York City who would help me build my team of writers and other EICs from schools all across the U.S. I had no idea that I would be in charge of interviewing, hiring, managing, and editing articles written by a staff of over 30 writers. I had no idea I would write articles that would get shared across the nation and reach over 55 thousand readers. I had no idea what an amazing experience I was getting myself into that day I was bored and looking for something to fill my time.

There are a lot of people who don't like the Odyssey. There are lots of people who think the articles are silly and don't consider them "real journalism." To me, journalism is about saying something, and that's what The Odyssey gives students an opportunity to do. Writers can choose any topic they want, from music reviews, to Thank You's, to campus news, to political editorials, they is something for everyone. Writing is an outlet for expression and the Odyssey does something very special by giving students a platform to express themselves with words. The Odyssey is developing leaders, creators, and innovative thinkers and I am very proud to be part of this company.

Now on to my thank yous. Thank you to my writers; your creativity and willingness to devote time and effort into this publication each week makes me proud to be your leader. Thank you to my managing editors; the amount of work that you do to get the articles published and shared is amazing and you are always willing to the extra mile to help with any problem that comes up for me. And finally, thank you to my readers; I know it can be annoying to see my weekly articles pop up on your Facebook timeline, but thank you for clicking anyway and considering what I have to say.

The Odyssey has given me so much in terms of confidence, creativity, and leadership and I will always be proud to have served as the Editor-in-Chief.

Thanks a million,

A former EIC