This is a pretty special article for me. It's actually my 100th article that I've written for Odyssey. To be honest, I can't believe it. I started writing for Odyssey in September of 2015 when I was only a sophomore, and here I am in May of 2017, about to enter my senior year of college. As much as I can't believe that I've somehow come up with 100 different topics for articles, I can't imagine what my life would be like if I hadn't decided to apply for Odyssey a year and a half ago. After working a total of five different positions for Odyssey, I can say that the gratitude I have for this platform cannot be put into words... even as a writer. Odyssey has given me so many unique opportunities, so I want to share how it has helped me grow over the past 100 articles.
1. Confidence
Having a craft, skill, or talent is something that gives you an incredible amount of confidence. While I am a dancer, I can tell you that I definitely have more people reading my articles than coming to my dance shows. Nothing makes me happier than getting a text from one of my friends, or even a Facebook message from a stranger, about one of my articles.
2. Self-Discovery
Writing is something that I do to express myself, but it's also something that I do to find myself. Over the past year and a half, writing has helped me through breakups, rejection, changing majors, and even the loss of a classmate. These are things that I not only needed to write about but that others needed to read about as well.
3. Determination
Last summer I worked as a Community Recruiter for Odyssey and it was probably one of the most challenging things I've ever done. I had to recruit 30 new creators and launch two new Odyssey communities in less than a month. It was stressful, to say the least, but I was successful. You can't imagine how much determination that required...
4. Leadership Skills
This past spring I became EIC of my school's Odyssey, and at first, it seemed like the most daunting task in the world. During my first few weeks, I thought I was never going to leave my constant state of panic, however, as I built a new team, things suddenly got easier. Instead of trying to copy the leadership techniques of the EIC before me, I developed my own. Suddenly, I started to find out what made me a good leader as well as what kind of guidance my team wanted from me. Since then, my team has started to thrive, and I couldn't be more thankful that Odyssey provided me with an opportunity to strengthen my leadership abilities.
5. Purpose
I wake up every day thinking about what I need to do to make my Odyssey team successful. I have something that I can pour my heart into. There's nothing quite like seeing my team have a successful week. It's not about the money because I rarely get paid, but it's about making a difference. It's about helping one of my creators' articles go viral, it's about creating meaningful relationships with my team, and it's about making an impact on my readers' lives.
All in all, if you're thinking about creating for Odyssey, just do it. You won't be sorry. Yes, it's a lot of work sometimes, but it's totally worth it. Take it from a girl who's somehow managed to find 100 things to write about. Odyssey is such a rewarding experience.
