Hello, my name is Alison Schult and I’m a content Creator for Odyssey.

So what, right?

I hate to tell you that you’re wrong, but if you think having the platform to potentially reach millions of people from all over the world and to share your voice, opinions, struggles and thoughts isn’t for you, feel free to click out of this article.

I’ll be honest, before I was reached out to via LinkedIn, I hadn’t heard of Odyssey. I’ve seen and read other people’s articles before but had no idea these viral articles were written by college students just like me. After I agreed to join the UNO Odyssey team, I was pleasantly surprised by all the freedom the writers get. You can write about literally anything--whatever you’re feeling, whether it be serious, goofy, or somewhere in between.

The great thing about Odyssey is it allows people from all over the nation to participate in discussion about their opinions and thoughts in an organized manner. Since college is one of the major “stepping stones” into adulthood, its important students of all ages take part in mature discussions (or not so mature discussions) about topics we feel are important to us. Odyssey provides an insight into the world of online journalism and gives a voice to those who may not have one otherwise.

Honestly, I could care less if millions of people see my articles. If even one person reads my article, smiles at it, cries because they can relate, thinks of a topic in a new way, or forms an opinion of their own, I’m satisfied. I want people to see that writing and journalism doesn’t have to be for “boring” or “stale” topics. I know personally, writing just one article a week has changed the way I feel about pursuing journalism for a career (in a positive way) and has grown my writing confidence in a way I didn’t think possible.

Am I the best writer? Hell no.

Do I care? Hell no.

That's what appealed to me the most about being a content Creator for Odyssey— you don't have to be a professional to share your emotions or opinion on topics. I’m personally just enjoying putting my thoughts out into the big scary world that is the internet and seeing the reactions I get from people. (The $20 the writers get if their article reaches the most people in a week is just an added bonus).

Odyssey democratizes the way stories are told online. We believe multiple perspectives, opinions and ideas should be captured and heard, shared and amplified on a worldwide scale. If you would like to join the UNO Odyssey team, you can request an invite to join the platform at theodysseyonline.com/apply.

10/10 would recommend, but I'm a little biased.

Love,

-A