Victoria Kurtz

I am reshaping the name of opportunity: for the socio-economically disadvantaged, for the minority, for the tired and the adventure-hungry. Come summer, I will set sail for a year-long exchange in Europe, venturing through the countries of Italy, Paris, and Portugal before studying at the Universidad de Cantabria in Santander, Spain. Like many, I come from an impoverished city, a single-parent household below the poverty line, and am a first-generation college student who has learned how to optimize opportunity in the midst of tribulation. I hope to share with the world how education, clever resourcefulness, and a little backbone can open the door to international travel and remold the clay of circumstance. Through a combination of travel and lifestyle writing and photography, I will speak to students and dreamers alike on how to get the most out of today's education system, as well as be a voice of empowerment for all who refuse to be sculpted in life, who choose to be the sculptor. The Odyssey platform is the medium through which I can share photographs of the most memorable, cherished European travel destinations, recommend must-visit cafés, and capture the culture of peoples around the world. May my words be the clay with which my readers begin to mold new lives, dream radical dreams, and create their own definition of opportunity.