What better time to celebrate Odyssey’s resilient women students than March, known as International Women’s History Month and a time to honor trailblazers? Our own alumnae exemplify the spirit of resilience and determination that this month commemorates. You’ve read about Sahira, who persevered past barriers to pursue dreams of becoming a teacher. Below, meet Mai (encouraged by Sahira to apply to Odyssey!), Jasmine, and Jess: three more extraordinary women whose Odyssey journeys were just the beginning of their remarkable stories of transformation.
Mai: Forging Her Own Story
As a first-generation Hmong American growing up in a crowded apartment and balancing the responsibilities of caring for her younger siblings while keeping up with school, Mai often struggled to see herself thriving in higher education. It just seemed out of reach for someone like her. When she applied to UW-Madison as a high school senior, she did so with the painful certainty that she wouldn’t be accepted. For years, that rejection reinforced in her a belief that she was not as smart or capable as her peers.
But Mai’s story was far from over. The Odyssey Project changed her perspective. The instructors and mentors she encountered at Odyssey believed in her and allowed Mai to believe in herself. Today, she’s a student in UW-Madison’s Badger Ready program, enroute to a degree in Social Work. Mai says she credits her success to Odyssey’s teaching faculty and helpful staff. She completed UW credits in Onward Odyssey classes such as Theatre, Composition, Sociology, and History, helping her to qualify for a transfer to UW-Madison. Mai writes, “Whenever I encounter roadblocks, I remind myself of the pillars of Odyssey, holding up the roof for me so that I may remain uncrushed. Odyssey has shown up for me in more ways than I can name.”
Jasmine: Finding Her Voice
Jasmine’s entrance into Odyssey marked a before and after in her life—a sign that all of her dreams were finally within reach. “I felt like all my decisions to better myself and become a true storyteller are going to be possible,” Jasmine wrote about being accepted into the program. “There’s a crack in the gray sky, and I have a chance to be great.”
She made that chance count. This year, as an Odyssey alum taking Onward Odyssey classes, Jasmine became a published writer. The essay she wrote for English 100, “The Places That Shape Us: Looking for People ‘Like Me’ in Milwaukee and Madison,” was featured in Madison Commons, thanks to an exciting collaboration between the Odyssey writing class and UW-Madison Journalism professor Sue Robinson and her students. This project also led to the publication of other essays by four Odyssey alumni, including Tanisha and Aida, showcasing the strength and diversity of voices in the Odyssey community.
For Jasmine, writing is more than self-expression—it’s a calling. “I write as if I want a Nobel Prize if it will get me heard,” she wrote in answer to the question, Are you a writer? “So yes, I am a writer. I just need the world to know it!” With her words now reaching a wider audience, the world is listening.
Jess: Fighting for Justice
Jess knows what it means to fight. Nothing, it seems, has come easily for her. She was thrilled to be accepted to the Odyssey Project – and then a global pandemic hit, forcing a year of Zoom classes and distanced-everything. But her challenges began long before that, when she battled addiction and was incarcerated. Through it all, though, Jess refused to let her past define her.
Instead, she pushed forward, graduating from Odyssey’s core class, enrolling in Onward courses for alumni, and continuing to lay the foundation for a brighter future.
Even more impressive than what Jess has fought through, though, is what she’s fighting for these days. Jess dedicates much of her free time – when she’s not taking tests or writing papers for her double-major in Social Welfare and Anthropology at UW-Madison – to advocating on behalf of incarcerated women and trying to transform the criminal justice system. As the Dane County Community Organizer for FREE (Formerly Incarcerated Reentering Empowered) Movement, she leads efforts to support justice-impacted women, focusing on dignity, rights, and reentry. Her work includes several campaigns addressing the incarceration of women, particularly the treatment of pregnant incarcerated women and the safety of mothers and children in those situations. 
She also facilitates circles of support for women both in person and online, ensuring that no woman faces reentry alone.
Her passion and leadership were recently recognized with the Transformation Award from MOSES, a community organization dedicated to social justice. For Jess, this work is personal. “One of the biggest obstacles I had to overcome was myself,” she reflects, crediting Odyssey with giving her the foundation to move forward. “I don’t believe I would be where I am today if it had not been for Odyssey and all of the staff. I have so much gratitude for Emily and everyone for believing in me and not giving up on me.”
Odyssey Alumnae: HerStory in the Making
Sahira, Mai, Jasmine, and Jess are just four of Odyssey’s amazing alumnae we could honor this month – women who have taken their education beyond the classroom and into the world, breaking barriers and building new futures not only for themselves but for their family, friends, and communities, too. Their stories remind us that education is so much more than just degrees and diplomas; it is about building confidence, opening doors, and empowering voices that deserve to be heard.
This International Women’s History Month, we celebrate these powerful Odyssey alumnae —and all the women we know—who continue to inspire, uplift, and lead the way.