November 7, 2016
Hackettstown, N.J., November 7, 2016 – Ariana Archilla knew that she wanted to be a writer since she was a young child. In fourth grade, in fact, she won the Young Author’s Award for her short story titled “The Big Tree and the Yellow Meadow” which is about a lone tree in the middle of a meadow.
Her passion for writing only intensified through the years. The Blairstown resident is now an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing at Centenary University. Last year, she took on a unique internship opportunity with Odyssey, which is a social media platform committed to democratizing content creation while personalizing discovery.
This project was launched online in 2014 and colleges and universities throughout the country and beyond onboarding creators to submit dynamic content. Over 1,000 local communities have been established. In addition to university communities, geographical communities also exist, as well as interest communities, such as Makeup Fanatics and Hip Hop Heads. Archilla is the Editor-in-Chief of Centenary’s community and currently has 20 content creators who currently contribute regularly. New content is published on a weekly basis on https://www.theodysseyonline.com/@centenary-university.
The content varies in topic and really runs the gamut related to focus. Some recent submissions bear the following titles: “How Do I Love Halloween? Let Me Count the Ways,” “Let’s Go Back to that Old Fashioned Love,” “Dear Addict,” “Bullying Needs to Stop” and “Why I Love My Little University.”
“Approximately 11 articles are posted each week,” says Archilla. “Everyone submits on Monday and I need to quickly turn around their work so they can all go live every Tuesday.”
As part of the process, Archilla provides creators with feedback on their submissions and she will do light editing to their work, if needed.
“This platform allows interested writers to have a voice,” says Magen Sanders, Assistant Managing Editor for The Odyssey. “Ariana has demonstrated a strong commitment to this project and has really grown as Editor-in-Chief. She is constantly onboarding new creators and has an energy that allows her to connect with her team.”
Archilla does all this, plus has two other jobs. She is a barista at Greene’s Beans, Centenary’s café, which is located on campus at the Taylor Memorial Library and she is a note taker through the Academic Success Center.
As a result to her commitment to the Odyssey project, Archilla was recently recognized for her innovation with the President Advisory Council Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship is made possible by the President Advisory Council, which is a council that works with the institution’s President toward the continued success of Centenary. This scholarship was established in October 2010 to provide a $1,000 annual scholarship to a deserving student at Centenary University.
Her writing aspiration is to become a published novelist. She admires many genres, so the possibilities are endless. One thing is certain, however; her dedication and commitment will lead her to success.
Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University is an independent, coeducational liberal arts and career studies university distinguished by an accomplished faculty, small class size and diverse student body. Centenary is the only baccalaureate and master’s degree granting institution in northwest New Jersey.
Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary University School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey. The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.
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