I have been a writer for Odyssey for about eight months now. I found this opportunity one day at work, in a casual conversation with one of my coworkers. I am so thankful for that conversation, because I love writing for Odyssey and all of the opportunities and experience that it provides.

First of all, writing for Odyssey is fun. I am by no means a writer. I don't really do any creative writing or intense journaling. I'm not aspiring to be the next JK Rowling, and I am in no way eloquent with my words. However, I really enjoy sitting down to write and create something every week. I think it's fun to write silly lists and spend way longer than I need to looking at funny gifs for them. I love even more to be able to share my opinions on things that I care about. This world we live in is quite the roller coaster, and there are all kinds of important issues and events going on that people feel very strongly about. I love having the ability to share my opinions on these issues, or make people aware of them, and engage in discussions based on that.

Also, I love the fact that I can influence people with my writing. Just a simple message that one of my lists made someone laugh, or knowing that one of my more serious and personal articles really resonated with someone, means the world to me.

Finally, I am an English major with an emphasis in literature, hoping to get a career in publishing. Writing for Odyssey not only is a great way for me to share my opinions, but also to gain some experience in my future career. As a writer, in addition to writing, I am responsible for making edits and proofreading before the article gets read through by the Editor in Chief, and I communicate with the rest of the staff along with the big guys in the New York offices. Writing for Odyssey also allowed me to practice effectively communicating my opinions and improve my writing skills.

Odyssey also provides opportunities for its writers in other areas. I got the opportunity a few months ago to work as an Odyssey Community Recruiter. This gave me the chance to work more closely with a Managing Editor in New York and to work on growing Odyssey communities around me. I was able to gain experience in marketing and promotions, which is something I had never worked in before. I got to go around telling people why I love writing for Odyssey which was something I really enjoyed. I've seen new writers discover their creativity, and watched them take pride in their work.

I am so thankful for my time with Odyssey so far, and I hope to continue to grow both as a writer and in any other opportunity I am able to pursue.