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Students choose �������޹�����Ʒ for many reasons, whether it be undergraduate research, a specific major, study abroad opportunities or faculty expertise. Some, like Olivia Pierce ’28 from Tampa, Florida, chose Elon for the Odyssey Program.

“Elon cares about their students and they are able to show that,” said Pierce, who will major in international business. “Ever since I stepped foot on campus, I’ve never stopped seeing that care to provide me with an education that is going to benefit me in the long run.”

Pierce was one of the 68 new Odyssey Program scholars who came to campus for Odyssey Week July 15-19, 2024. The annual orientation program showcases university programming and resources while providing an opportunity for the new scholars to bond with one another and scholars from other classes.

“The growth of this program has been tremendous since the first Odyssey Week I was privileged to work with upon my arrival to Elon in 2013,” said Marcus Elliott, director of the Odyssey Program. “There were a total of 25 scholars in the class of 2017 and we only needed four mentors that summer. To see that we’ve now expanded to 16 mentors and 68 scholars in the class of 2028 has been a joy to witness.”

Deeper connections

The Odyssey Program is a merit-based scholarship program that gives students access to mentorship, community building, leadership development, service learning and more. The program also includes a stipend for books and supplies, and a $4,000 Elon Experiences grant, which will be used for global experiences.

Students admitted to the program come from a variety of backgrounds including first-generation college students, Federal Pell Grant recipients and/or those who have achieved success despite hardship or other challenges.

Pierce first came to Elon in April for the Phoenix Fusion event hosted by the Office of Admissions and said that experience allowed her to meet other new students like herself and cemented her decision to attend. While learning about campus is important for the scholars, getting to know one another is also key during the busy week.

“We did a deeper, personal activity where you stepped forward if you’d been through a certain experience,” Pierce said. “Getting to know the people on a deeper level, rather than just things like name and major helps us feel connected to so many people.”��

Navigating college

Along with the chance to stay closer to her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, Valery Montes Cruz ’28 chose Elon for its sense of community. As a first-generation college student, she said navigating the college admissions process was a challenge.

“I didn’t feel like I had much faith in myself,” said Montes Cruz, who plans to study biology with a pre-med focus. “But getting into college and the program was a huge deal for my parents. They were proud of me for being able to get in.”

The incoming students in the program are led throughout the week by mentors who are Odyssey Program scholars themselves.

“The Odyssey Program has greatly impacted me and opened up a lot of opportunities,” said Tiffanie Grant ’26, one of the mentors for Odyssey Week. “It is so cool to mentor these students and it’s a great way to welcome and get to know the new class. I found that I didn’t put myself out there last year and I wanted to do that more this year.”

Odyssey Week gave Jamarion Davis ’28 an opportunity to connect with other students like himself, something he was concerned he wouldn’t see at Elon. Davis began to make music at a young age and encouraged by his uncle, an Elon alum, he applied to Elon and now plans to major in music production and recording arts.

Several students, like Davis and Julian Trinetto ‘28, said Odyssey Week helped them step outside of their comfort zone.

“Not knowing the schedule for the week let me go into each new experience with a much more open mind,” said Trinetto, who plans to study exercise science. “You’re not really thinking about what you’re going to do and thinking ‘This is not going to be a good time, I’m not going to enjoy it,’ so you accept it and go in with a positive mindset. It’s been a good time.”