MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. --- The Odyssey Leadership group concluded the 2018-19 year with their final session and graduation ceremony wrapping up another successful year of transforming young leaders.
"It was a wonderful year in the Odyssey program. It was truly a pleasure to spend time with each of these student-athletes. Each of them adds a unique and valuable perspective to the program and our entire athletics department," said program leader Kourtney Chumbley.
The final session of the year was designed for the student-athletes to be the teachers. Several coaches were in attendance and the athletes walked them through familiar exercises and explained what they learned from their experiences from the year. Following the session, the group met to summarize the semester and solidify the concepts they had explored throughout the year.
Over the year the Odyssey Leadership group held six sessions. Below is a quick summary of the events from the year.
Session one: StrengthsFinder personality test to help identify strengths/weaknesses and learn more about yourself, so that the students can then learn how to lead others.
Session two: NC State High Ropes Course. The students pushed boundaries, got out of their comfort zones, faced challenges with others, and finished the day on the zip-lines.
Session three: Shared lessons from Conference Carolinas Leadership Summit with Odyssey Leadership graduate Taylor Moncrief.
Session four: Dealt with identifying personal values.
Session five: Creating a personal brand and the use of social media.
Session six: Joined by several coaches and became the teachers showcasing some of their favorite activities during the year with focuses on communication, values, and working together.
"I'm sorry that the program has ended. I really enjoyed the sessions and learned a lot about myself and leadership," said Odyssey graduate Allison Cribb.
Below is a list of this year's graduates from the 2018-19 Odyssey Leadership Group:
Iyanu Abedisi, Men Volleyball
Linn Andersson, Women's Golf
Eileen Barrera, Softball
Brittany Beckford, Women's Track & Field
Justin Bellamy, Men's Soccer
Kendall Blaine, Women's Soccer
Allison Cribb, Women's Volleyball
Armando Ferreira, Men's Tennis
Cristina Galvan, Women's Soccer
Lexi Gast, Women's Lacrosse
Jessica Glenn, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
Montre Holmes, Men's Track & Field
Tom Kalliske, Men's Track & Field
Ania Keene, Women's Volleyball
James Lang, Men's Soccer
Candy Lockett, Women's Track & Field
Alexis Oliver, Softball
Chaija Olsson, Women's Lacrosse
Reed Parris, Softball
Zarya Poulava, Women's Basketball
Olle Ryberg, Men's Golf
Dempsey Ryne, Cheerleading
Deike Schipper, Women's Tennis
JT Stone, Baseball
Samantha Tobin, Women's Track & Field
Luke Visgitis, Men's Volleyball
Connor Watson, Men's Lacrosse