Where do I even begin? My Volunteer Odyssey experience brought out so many different emotions in me, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Throughout this entire experience, I kept thinking of one word for how I felt: overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of everyone I encountered and their willingness to help me in any way they could. I was overwhelmed by the beautiful missions and mass of information I learned about each organization. I was overwhelmed by the whole volunteer process.

I had naively gone into Volunteer Odyssey thinking I could still fill up my social calendar and be raring to go for anything that spontaneously came up. This was simply not the case. Even though I enjoy writing and was familiar with short turnaround times from my graduate school days, I had not exercised that part of my brain that rigorously in a while. To be completely honest, I was exhausted by the end of my volunteer week, but it was worth it!

The word “grateful” kept popping up in throughout my blog posts because that’s how I feel. Being somewhat new to Memphis, I wasn’t sure where to start to become more knowledgeable and involved in the non-profit community. Volunteer Odyssey provided the framework for me to build a network, and I can’t express how thankful I am to have been able to participate in the program. I was inspired by the seven organizations I visited, not only by the passionate staff of each, but also by the people who benefit from the organizations’ work. I urge everyone to volunteer at various non-profits in their communities, especially the ones they know little or nothing about because it might be motivating to think about people of different backgrounds in a new way.

I would like to thank two very special people who have been extremely involved during my journey. Leah Fitzpatrick, my blog editor, has helped me to become a better writer. She advised me on grammar, formatting, and content suggestions for each of my pieces. Her guidance was invaluable, and I am appreciative to have learned such critical writing skills I can take with me wherever I go in life. Thanks for the thorough feedback, Leah!

Second, I’d like to thank Sarah Petschonek, who created the Volunteer Odyssey program. She is an incredible woman who supported me every step of the way. She stayed “on call” during my entire week of volunteering to address any questions or concerns I had, and also introduced me to people who weren’t part of my Odyssey. She set up great openings for me to network with so many wonderful people in our community. You are a rockstar!

If I could, I would participate in Volunteer Odyssey every week! It was a life-changing experience and I have met and even become friends with numerous connections from my journey. I am eager to continue to support the places I visited and have continued to volunteer after my designated week. I am excited for all of the new opportunities I now have because of my participation in Volunteer Odyssey and I’m ready put my new skills to work! Thank you for sharing this adventure with me – I hope you enjoyed reading about it!

Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job in writing, event planning, communications, or teaching. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way: jobleads@volunteerodyssey.com or aesamsell@gmail.com.

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