Odyssia brings a global perspective to her interest in civic engagement. Born and raised in Greece, Odyssia is fluent in Greek, Russian, English, as well as French. Her command of different languages has allowed her to find her place as a global citizen; feeling welcomed as a member of different cultures, each with its own nuances and history. Since high school, Odyssia has striven to be a globalized, well-rounded, adaptable individual with a strong moral compass, capable of responding to challenging circumstances with ethical integrity.
Through the SNF Paideia Fellowship, Odyssia intends to develop her previous work with the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project that employed industry resources to address adolescent mental health. Working collaboratively with psychiatrists, lawyers, and employees, Odyssia used the CSR model to successfully launch an online platform for a company in Athens, Greece, offering complimentary, personalized help to young adults. Through this experience, she developed a firm grasp of the many intricacies of developing a project that is aimed to benefit the wider community, acquiring an understanding of the importance of ethical frameworks, civil dialogue, and community.
At Penn, Odyssia is involved in the Climate Reality Action Fund. She strongly believes in sustainability, both social and environmental, and has tried to promote this concept to friends and family. She is also in the Pi Sigma Alpha Honors Society. The SNF Paideia seminar curriculum and designated courses shed light on her academic interests and she decided to major in Political Science with a Legal Studies and History minor. Both the Political Science (PSCI498) course and the Legal Studies (LGST245) course that she took Spring, 2021, reflect the interconnected nature of the program, as she consistently draws parallels between discussions: whether they revolve around the role of corporations in an ever-shrinking world, or the true nature of democracy and market-capitalism. She is inspired by the SNF Paideia program and is committed to home in on her academic interests through the offerings of the Program.
Additionally, through the program she met Angie Oh who had overlapping civic engagement ideas. So much so that they are building a project together for Fall 2021.
We want to empower those entering the workplace, both our generation and future generations, to do their part in holding corporations accountable to our values as consumers and to underscore how our actions today can help mold a new, more sustainable society.