Clarke Central High School Class of 2013 alumna and former ODYSSEY Media Group Print Editor-in-Chief Chloe Hargrave poses in front of the OMG Trophy Case on July 22. Hargave reflected on how she grew and skills she gained that prepared her for the future. “I did really great work, and I think that I pushed my writing ability and was proud of the products that I put out into the world, and it felt really rewarding to be published,” Hargrave said. “As a young person, not a lot of people get that opportunity, or they didn’t at the time. Social media looked a lot different when I was in high school, versus how it looks now. So, to have your voice out there to a mass audience was a really big deal. All of that combined, I would just call it a rewarding experience and an experience of growth and development.” Photo by Iliana Tejada
CCHS class of 2013 alumna and former ODYSSEY Media Group Print Editor-in-Chief Chloe Hargrave reflects on her time in the OMG and the skills she learned.
iliad Literary-Art Magazine Outreach director Jay Braswell: Being a part of the ODYSSEY Media Group from 2010-2013, what did you learn throughout your time in the program?
Clarke Central High School Class of 2013 alumna and former ODYSSEY Media Group Print Editor-in-Chief Chloe Hargrave: I learned how to write well. That was the biggest thing. I learned how to be a concise but meaningful writer, how to use your words with purpose and how to use them correctly and appropriately. As a teenager, your words are going out to the mass public, which is a pretty big deal, so you have to be very careful with them. (I) learned that words hold power, and you have to use that very carefully. Then, outside of the (program), I learned how to have some confidence. I learned how to speak to adults as a teenager, (which) can be tough. I learned how to ask the right questions, how to take my work seriously and the value of doing hard work.
JB: You were a part of the OMG throughout pretty much your whole high school experience from. What made ODYSSEY so important to you?
A gallery shows photos of Clarke Central High School Class of 2013 alumna and former ODYSSEY Media Group Print Editor-in-Chief Chloe Hargrave. Photos from the ODYSSEY archives
CH: I loved feeling like I was working really hard at something and being able to see the product of that hard work, and whether or not it was received well. The point was coming together as a team and writing features pieces, News (or) Variety or whatever (kind) it was, and putting that all together and designing the layouts, and all of this labor. Then seeing it all (come) together, (having) that feeling of pride and knowing that we put our best effort into something was a rewarding feeling, and I didn’t get that from any other club or activity.
JB: Can you synthesize your time in the OMG, including your challenges and celebrations?
CH: I learned a lot about how to persevere despite issues, whether or not that had to be with the work and how much work ODYSSEY asks you to do, (and) how to maintain that strength and commitment to the job and making excellent work, not just getting it done. It also taught me how to persevere through interpersonal relationships (by) working on a staff with other people and making sure that you are able to get along with one another and communicate and work towards this common goal, which isn’t always easy. We’re all people. We all have different feelings and emotions and things going on in our lives, so you have to be really understanding with your staff.
I learned a lot about how to persevere despite issues, whether or not that had to be with the work and how much work ODYSSEY asks you to do, (and) how to maintain that strength and commitment to the job and making excellent work, not just getting it done.
JB: What would you say is your favorite memory at CCHS?
CH: The first thing that comes to mind is when I revisited when I was in college (at the University of Georgia). I came back when I knew I wanted to do teaching because I needed to get experience hours for my (education) degree. I reached out to (OMG adviser and founder David Ragsdale) and asked if I could do them here (at CCHS). I really liked being on the other side of (ODYSSEY), paying it forward, and building those connections with the students who were on staff at the time was really special.
JB: What did you do in that role?
CH: Because I was in school and I was working on graduating, I served kind of as an assistant to Ragsdale and his teaching. I came back to get the experience of being a teacher and leader in a classroom as an adult, instead of doing it as a student working with people my own age. Getting that face time with students, getting comfortable standing up in front of the group and teaching lessons and guiding students as they needed, (was) what I was looking for, and that’s what I got out of it.
