Up until this past summer, I had not heard about Odyssey before, mostly because I had very few social media accounts, and I rarely ever read online news articles, as bad as that sounds. This summer, I got an email asking if I would be interested in being a creator for Odyssey. I thought I would try it out to see how I liked it, and I ended up loving it.

The reason why I ended up loving Odyssey and becoming more involved in it was because it gave me a voice, and it let that voice be heard. It also forced me to be more connected with what was going on in the world around me. Since coming to college, I stay away from watching cable, especially news, because I feel like I am constantly being persuaded to think a certain way, buy a certain thing, vote for a specific person, etc. With Odyssey, I am able to share my opinions and hear other peoples' opinions, while being respected and heard. It also makes me look at news stories on the internet and in magazines so that I can form an opinion about things and write about them. Odyssey has caused me to be much more aware of what is going on and where I stand. Writing for Odyssey also offers a creative outlet. Not all of my articles are on news, most of them are on things I am interested in, or things that I am going through in my life. It is nice to be able to get your thoughts down and have other people see those thoughts and react. I might not have a massive impact, but maybe I can have a small one.

Odyssey also offers me a lot of support and collaboration. It gives me a chance to be a leader. Since joining Odyssey, I have become an EIC. This gave me more opportunities to lead and inspire other creators. It is nice to know that when I have any questions or if I need inspiration, I have other creators, EICs, and professionals helping me. It is challenging at times, and often frustrating, but that is yet another opportunity to grow and develop new skills that I can use in other areas of my life.

I think the best part of being a creator for Odyssey is when I see that a lot of people from my hometown liked my article and have input. It makes me see Waynesville from another point of view, and makes me feel like I have support from home.

I'm not the best writer, the most influential, or the most inspired at times, but writing for Odyssey has given me the chances to spread my wings a little and let my voice soar.