ODYSSEY Media Group News Staffer Mykolas Kumpis stands in Clarke Central High School’s Room 231 during a press conference. Even after joining OMG as a senior with no prior experience, Kumpis felt that he had made a real impact on the OMG. “I feel I’ve succeeded. I’ve learned more than I could’ve ever imagined, built long-lasting and strong relationships with my peers and fellow community members, and have set myself up for a successful future with the skills and experiences I’ve gained from my time with the ODYSSEY Media Group,” Kumpis said. Photos courtesy of Mykolas Kumpis
Senior and News Staffer Mykolas Kumpis valued his time with the ODYSSEY Media Group and reflects on the lessons learned from a year with the program.
My role as a first-year senior made for an uncompromising and tough ODYSSEY experience. Having senior-level expectations placed on me combined with my complete lack of journalistic knowledge forced me to push myself and my capabilities beyond what I thought was possible.
With the undivided assistance of my Viewpoints staffmates, my editor Janie Ripps, Mr. Ragsdale, and the broader ODYSSEY staff, I was able to succeed as a Viewpoints Staffer and branch out to many other forms of journalistic writing such as event coverages, reviews, and blogs.
During this second semester, I’ve come into my own as a member of the News staff and have been working just as hard to make meaningful use of the time I have with the program. When I first joined, I set out to make a real contribution to ODYSSEY and overcome the challenge of joining with no prior journalistic experience.
I feel I’ve succeeded. I’ve learned more than I could’ve ever imagined, built long-lasting and strong relationships with my peers and fellow community members, and have set myself up for a successful future with the skills and experiences I’ve gained from my time with the ODYSSEY Media Group.
