overcoming adversity and achieving dreams through higher education
Every writer is a storyteller. That is the common bond that is shared among us. I write because it helps to free the thoughts and ideals that have always lived within me. This ability to create, to allow myself to live in a world that I created, was something that I had to rediscover. —Karshara, …
When Senator Tammy Baldwin visited the Odyssey Project, she asked alumni in the room how they discovered the free UW humanities program. Michelle Bozeman responded: “You asked me, ‘Did I find Odyssey or did Odyssey find me?’ My answer is, ‘We found each other because we needed each other.’” Michelle then shared her 30-year journey …
“One of the most impactful programs in our state, the UW Odyssey Project has completely transformed my life and the lives of many others,” noted Corey Saffold as he donned cap and gown this month to mark his bachelor’s degree. Corey, whose daughter and grandson graduated from Odyssey and Odyssey Junior, credits the multigenerational Odyssey …
Why do I write? It’s simple. I write for me! I write to find me. I write to know me. I write to speak to myself so I can talk to you. Writing is my voice. It helps me feel and connect. – Anthony, student in English 100 at Oakhill Correctional In Odyssey Beyond Bars’s English …
Odyssey Beyond Bars (OBB) is now operating in four prisons across the state, and as we and other prison-based programs expand, we often encounter the same question from our students as they contemplate their academic journeys: “What’s next?” For some lucky students, the next steps are clear. The prison where they live might offer an …
“I’m just so honored to support the Odyssey Project,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin last month when she visited Odyssey’s home in South Madison, adding that she felt “proud to bring home $500,000 in new federal funds to help adults facing economic barriers to college.” Senator Baldwin praised Odyssey’s “whole family approach” to breaking the cycle …
JAMZ Life, April 14 2022
Odyssey Now completing its 19th year, Odyssey offers a free, transformational two-semester UW course for 30 students each year to explore literature, philosophy, history, art, music, and writing. “My mother and sister both graduated from the Odyssey Project, and I am next in line. I hope one day my daughter will join the Odyssey Project …
Will you sponsor one or more of our 30 Odyssey Project graduates this year as they receive UW–Madison credits during another difficult year? While reading Plato, studying Frida Kahlo, and acting out scenes from Lorraine Hansberry, students have contracted COVID themselves; others have lost loved ones and fought against depression, homelessness, and unemployment. Show them …
“The Odyssey Program has an impressive track record of transforming lives through higher education,” says UW College of Letters and Science Dean Eric Wilcots. Continuing Studies Dean and Vice Provost for Lifelong Learning Jeffrey Russell concurs, noting “Odyssey is emblematic of education at its best.” Because Odyssey offers nontraditional students the opportunity to earn 6 …