Journaling has always been one of my favorite past times. For years I was sure to spend at least a day a week writing down my thoughts, feelings, and any new ideas that caught my attention. My absolute worst nightmare was any of these writings going public.

Seriously, I didn't even like the thought of a school paper of mine being read by others. Maybe it's a social anxiety, maybe it's a fear of being judged for my words. Whatever it was, I kept my writing hidden.

When I started college, Odyssey articles began to flood my timeline. I was always so intrigued and read every one I could get my hands on. I loved how raw and vulnerable those articles were, how the writers were totally comfortable putting themselves out there.

I envied them.

I assumed the Odyssey was something you had to earn the right to work for. I assumed it had to be people who had spent their lives writing and had proved that their ideas were worth hearing.

I never thought that The Odyssey was for people like me.

When I got the interview, I seriously was speechless. I had prepared myself to be shut down or had my writing so harshly criticized that I wouldn't want to ever share my writing again.

Little did I know that the interview I had would forever change my life.

They wanted to hear my opinions, they wanted to see more of my writing, they were interested in putting my work out there. I was completely blown away.

My writing wasn't superb -- but it was honest, real.

When my first article got published, I was so nervous I couldn't even stand to open my social media apps. I didn't want to hear anyone's comments about my work.

As I published more and more, I started to become more and more vulnerable. I started to realize why Odyssey writers are as vulnerable and honest as they are. The team surrounding them enables them in every single way possible.

Anytime an article of mine got published, at least one writer had something positive to say. When I published something that made the main page, my editor was the first one to tag me in it and show the whole team that I had made it.

What I realized about the Odyssey is that you don't have to be a top-notch writer with a million ideas buzzing around you at all times.

What matters is that you are open to being honest with yourself and others to talk about what matters to YOU. What matters to everyone else doesn't matter in that moment - it's the topics that are important to you that are most important.

If you are one of those people, like me, who was absolutely terrified to take the first step - I could not recommend a better company to take it for than the Odyssey.

They will nurture and grow you into a writer that you could not have even dreamed of being.

If you are even the slightest bit interested, take the leap. Apply for the the community at your school.

You won't regret it.