About three week or so ago, I was strolling through Facebook and saw a bunch of my high school friends posting articles that they had published on Odyssey. I have always seen articles from the website but never thought people that I knew would be on there. They inspired me to submit an article however I never thought it would be published.
I got an email about a week after I submitted from the Assistant Managing Editor, Nick Gallinelli, asking if I would like to discuss about bringing an official branch to La Salle. Filled with excitement I replied, “YES!”
The next day we had a chance to talk and he told me I had to put together a staff of people. So I contacted teachers that I knew and friends to apply for the chance of writing on The Odyssey. The day afterwards we talked again, he asked if I would be the Editor-in-Chief for the branch at La Salle. I responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” And a week-and-a-half later... here I am. My name is Alannah Vazquez, and I am your Editor-in-Chief for La Salle University!
As a child, I was never strong in reading and writing. Many of my teachers kept me among higher-level readers without realizing I needed help. By fourth grade I still could not read nor spell words as simple as “always,” “together,” and “because.” However, my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Quiles, noticed this and had me tested by the Rider University reading program. They discovered that I had a reading capability equal to that of children three grades below me and provided me with an opportunity to learn and improve. Over the course of a few years, I learned that I had a passion to read long-chapter books and write.
Mrs. Quiles became one of my inspirations and helped me let go of any resentment I had towards teachers before her. I quickly realized that she was the kind of person I wanted to be like when I grew up. She doesn’t go to work just to get paid but instead is someone that teaches from the heart and genuinely values the time she invests in her students. From that moment on, I no longer judged all teachers for the misplaced actions of a single teacher.
I am not like other writers on The Odyssey. I do not want to become a writer or a journalist but that does not mean I do not respect the passions of others. Instead, I chose to major in Education because I would love to change students’ lives. I hope to utilize my own experiences to help teach kids growing up with similar circumstances that it is possible to overcome their own disabilities. I want to someday be able to go home at night knowing that I am inspiring my students to be the very best versions of themselves and helping them to realize their full potential.
Now I find myself here, as the Editor-in-Chief for the La Salle branch of The Odyssey online. My fourth-grade self is scared but my current self is filled with excitement for the opportunity. I am more than excited for what is to come.
“Never give up on something you really want. It’s difficult to wait, but worse to regret.” - Unknown
