As of last April, my life as an involved college student has changed. For the past months I have had the greater blessing taking on the position as editor in chief of the team of writers at Dominican University of California. Being in this position has shown me the parallels of what it'll probably be like when I'm a teacher, how to approach people you don't know, and most importantly, what it truly means to work with others. I have an awesome team of writers and I honestly would not enjoy being a part of this team if it weren't for their consistent contribution, hard work and their uplifting universal messages they choose to share. So to each individual content creator on this team, YOU are the reason why I continue and you all are the reason why I love being a part of this team. Even though I may not say it enough, I greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you for being you.
1. Meeting new people.
It never gets any easier to message a complete stranger on Facebook in order to talk to them over the phone about Odyssey. But once they've been on the team for a while, talking gets easier and the initial anxiety goes away. Meeting new people is always an exciting venture!
2. Editing articles.
When Friday night comes around, I really do get excited to read and edit all of the articles. There's just so many diverse topics that all the content creators write about so it's never a boring editing process! Plus, I'm super nerdy about editing and it's just something I've always loved doing!
3. Being up for the challenge.
I'll admit, I was terrified about being EIC at first, but since I made that decision, it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made. As I challenge myself with creating new tasks and goals for the team, I also feel like the content creators challenge me as well, forcing me to go outside of my comfort zone when needed. After all, we just strive to be the best we can be.
4. Seeing unspoken emotions and passions come to life.
The articles that are being produced are works of humor, passion, self-love, reflections, etc. The article can relate to at least one more person out there. I know that I've read a ton of articles where they've made me question who I am as a person and what I'm all about. They are the essence of truth and knowledge. Truth be told, us millennials write some pretty good stuff.
5. Seeing how Odyssey creates a safe platform for young adults to find their voice.
Being a college student and having a platform such as Odyssey gives more than just a space to write your thoughts. It's a place that is utilized to bring attention to pressing matters in the world. When it's not about what's gong on in the world, it's about what's going on with the individual. After being with Odyssey for a while, I believe that it becomes more than writing a weekly article just because that's what you're supposed to do. It essentially goes down to this: we look to others first before we can really know what our voice is. And when we find that, it shows in our articles - the way we write, the way we talk and the way we view the world.
Through this on-going experience, I've realized that being an EIC is more than just editing articles and reminding people about the weekly deadlines. It's to offer support and help to ensure that things keep running even when they don't go as planned. This opportunity came at a time when I really needed it. I needed something else to put my focus and energy on and by chance, I stumbled across it. Even though these are the five things reasons I love being an EIC for Odyssey, I know for sure that this list will continue to keep growing.
