Odds are that your social media feeds have been flooded with articles, just like this one, written by Odyssey members across the country. You're probably also left staring at your feed wondering just how exactly this company has grown so quickly.
Most news feeds today are full of only older generations and their opinions so many millennials feel as though they aren't represented. Odyssey is the perfect way for writers of all backgrounds to be showcased. Whether you represent a majority opinion or minority opinion, there are people out there who agree with you and support you. Or you can remain neutral on today's issues and just choose to write light-hearted content for entertainment only, its truly up to each writer.
My favorite part of Odyssey is how friendly and helpful the whole community is. No matter what role you play in the community there is always support for you and people are always there to keep you motivated and on track. Our editorial system is unique in this way because we have personal contact with each level of the team and this helps make the process more enjoyable. The editors are careful to not remove the writer's voice as the articles travel down the line which is key to having the quality of content that we do. In fact one of the biggest appeals of Odyssey articles is that they are personal and truly show off each writer's individual style.
Each and every writer publishes one article a week and they are allowed to discuss any subject that they want to. There are generic guidelines to follow but none of them put limitations on the creativity aspects in the articles. The other amazing aspect is that the only requirement to participating is an interest in writing. You don't have to be a Journalism major to be published, and this is why it's so appealing to many people.
As a college freshman, my plate has been filled beyond capacity since I started the year back in August. Exams, papers, meeting new friends, surviving on my own and the other aspects that came with this year became overwhelming. I had my heart set on joining a sorority but I had to put my mental health first and decided not to tackle that until next year. One night I stumbled across Odyssey and I am so glad I did. Writing has always been my outlet and receiving such positive feedback as allowed me to grow not only as a writer but as a person overall. Plus making a few bucks when I win top shared article and also adding Odyssey to my resume hasn't hurt either!
This experience has shown me that I do have what it takes to be a writer and it has inspired me to change my major next fall from Psychology to Communication/Journalism. I found that my voice does matter and this new outlet has become something so amazing in my stressful life. My new roles in the Odyssey community are allowing me to help new writers find their voice and I hope that they will benefit the way I have as well.
I hope to be a part of Odyssey in the future and I can't wait to see how the community grows.
