Pictures of success: A look back at 20 years of the UW Odyssey Project

2004 — The very first Odyssey class traveled in September 2003 to campus to get photo IDs and tour the art museum, a tradition the program has continued for two decades.

2005 — In the program’s second year, Emily (center, in pink) had no coordinator or paid staff as she taught every Wednesday night in South Madison’s Harambee Center.

2006 — Corey Saffold (standing) says finding his voice as part of the Odyssey Class of ‘06 changed his life, propelling him to a bachelor’s degree, a two-year term on the UW Board of Regents, and acceptance into UW’s Law School.

2007 — Brian Benford (left) says his resilient classmates inspired him to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s in social work from UW, serve as alder for the City of Madison, and work as Odyssey’s success coach.

2008 — As a veteran with PTSD, Thomas Gardner (bottom left) treasured the bonds he formed with classmates, developed his experience as a writer, and earned a UW bachelor’s degree at age 60.

2009 — Kegan Carter, Odyssey Class of ‘04, became the first Odyssey alum to graduate from UW–Madison when she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2009. She went on to earn a UW master’s degree in Afro-American Studies.

2010 — Keena Atkinson (center, red shirt) was homeless and sleeping on the floor of a barbershop when she began Odyssey. She now has a bachelor’s degree from UW–Madison, is a landlord, and owns businesses of her own.

2011 — Odyssey classes moved to the new Goodman South Madison Library.

2012 — Before her death in November 2012, Wanda Auerbach visited every Odyssey class and attended every graduation, knowing firsthand the challenge of breaking a cycle of generational poverty.

2013 — James Morgan (standing) continued to feel Odyssey’s love when re-incarcerated for a minor parole violation. He now works as a reentry coach to prevent recidivism and credits Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” for changing his life.

2014 — Milli Lau (far right) said she was so shy about public speaking that she didn’t think she could speak at her graduation, but she spoke eloquently and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee.

2015 — When the new UW Partnership space opened for Odyssey’s adult learners, the library community room became home to Odyssey Junior, an enrichment program for children ages 10–17 who were too old for Head Start childcare.

2016 — This Odyssey class included a mother, son, and daughter from the same family of Iraqi refugees. The younger siblings were in Odyssey Junior, and the father attended the following year. Several family members graduated from UW.

2017 — Marisol Gonzalez went on after her graduation from Odyssey to encourage her husband and oldest son to complete the program. Marisol now teaches bilingual classes for Odyssey Junior.

2018 — For all but the last few years of Odyssey, when his health declined, Marshall “Coach” Cook (center) delighted Odyssey students with his love of vocabulary. Who knew that the two students pictured here would go on to get married and become community activists?

2019 — Kevin Mullen taught UW’s first credit-bearing course at Oakhill Correctional Institution, helping men find their voices and a newfound sense of hope. This photo shows the first graduation ceremony for men earning credits in English 100. Odyssey Beyond Bars has now expanded to four prisons. Photo: Chris Barcella, Isthmus

2020 — Theater Professor Baron Kelly (blue shirt) has led dramatic workshops for Odyssey students all 20 years of the program, joining its faculty in 2020.

2021 —  Without hugs, live music, and field trips, Odyssey wondered if it could survive the pandemic, but even in Zoom, students could feel the love and find their voices.

2022 — Masked and alternating between Zoom classes and in-person meetings when possible, the Class of 2022 began finding its way back to normalcy.

2023 — In March 2023, Odyssey launched Odyssey Senior for Odyssey alumni and their relatives 60 and older to tell their stories, bringing history to life.