overcoming adversity and achieving dreams through higher education
On Wednesday, October 11, Black composers Bill Banfield and Patrice Rushen, along with Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra CEO Joe Loehnis and other staff members, visited our Odyssey class and engaged in conversation with the Class of 2024. Then, on that Friday, current and past Odyssey students had pre-show pizza at Ian’s, attended pre-show and post-show talks …
Thanks to American Players Theatre (APT), American Family Insurance, and other donors for sponsoring a trip for Odyssey students and their families to see “Romeo & Juliet” on Saturday, September 30th, at 2 PM. Students traveled by coach bus, had a picnic lunch, met with APT company actor Gavin Lawrence, and enjoyed the show. Read …
At their annual event on Thursday, May 18, the Madison Community Foundation celebrated 30 years of A Fund for Women, and the Odyssey Project (and alumnus Char Braxton) was prominently featured in AFFW’s anniversary video. A Fund For Women was started in 1993, when a group of women started a fund that focused on women’s …
Smith recalls family and friends commenting on her unique ability to express herself in writing, but she did not give it attention. However, the Odyssey program ignited her passion for writing. “I live for writing!” she exclaimed. Smith jumped in with both feet last September when she entered one of her poems in a creative …
As the Odyssey Project looks ahead to the next 20 years, we take a look back at the last two decades, in photos.
Our youngest Odyssey students held a graduation celebration all their own last month, with parents, teachers, and community partners cheering them on. Before receiving certificates and gift bags, Odyssey Junior participants shared samples of their work, from art projects to writing featured in the final Junior Oracle. In a section asking what they liked about …
Thank you so much to those of you that were able to join us either in person or via Zoom as we celebrated the incredible and resilient UW Odyssey Project Class of 2023 on May 3! The evening began with moving words from Dean Jeffrey Russell and Odyssey Director of Adult Education, Kevin Mullen. Then …
“I will just tell you real quickly what Odyssey was to me,” Ward explained. “Everybody in here is a seed. If you know anything about seeds, they have everything that they need inside of them to become whatever they’re going to become. They just need to be put in the right environment. Odyssey is that …
Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Odyssey’s 20 years of life-changing impact at our Chazen anniversary event! Guests enjoyed appetizers, drinks, and music by Kinfolk (featuring Odyssey alumni) as they mingled in the Chazen lobby and explored the museum. The program consisted of opening remarks by Chancellor Mnookin, who said, “There is …
NBC15′s Leigh Mills sat down with Brian Benford, a member of the Odyssey Class of 2007 and a Madison alder, and his therapy dog Duke Ellington. Benford talks about how the project has had an impact on his life and how rewarding it is to work with students in the program now.