At Elon University, the journey for senior Odyssey scholars came full circle May 2.
Elon’s Odyssey Program — which offers scholarships and expanded opportunities to high-achieving Elon students with high financial need — hosted its annual senior celebration in LaRose Student Commons.
During the roughly two-hour senior celebration, members of the Odyssey Class of 2026 gathered to be recognized for their achievements, receiving graduation stoles and diploma frames before commencement.
Incoming Odyssey directorMat Gendle said the event served as both a celebration and a reflection, highlighting not only academic success but the personal growth that defines the Odyssey Program.
“This experience of the world being open to you is really what we’re here to celebrate,” Gendle said. “It’s about understanding what’s possible.”
That sense of possibility echoed throughout the ceremony, as speakers encouraged seniors to reflect on how far they’ve come and how their perspectives have changed since arriving on campus.
University President Connie Ledoux Book emphasized the relationships and purpose students developed during their time at Elon.
“My hope is that you’ve found three things: a community, a way to make a living and a sense of purpose,” Book said in her speech to attendees. “It’s more than your major, it’s the experiences that shape who you are.”
Book also challenged students to rethink success, describing “greatness” not as fame or recognition, but as impact.
“When we help each other realize our full potential, that is greatness,” Book said.
The keynote address by Odyssey alum Bria Samuels ‘17 reinforced that message, urging students to define success on their own terms. She quoted Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” encouraging students to pursue ‘paths less travelled’ that they thought would never be open. For many students, including senior Edgar Ramirez Luna, that journey has been anything but straightforward.
“It’s been a wild four years,” Ramieraz Luna said. “There was a lot of ups and downs. But at the same time, I think that builds a lot of character, and I've learned a lot of new things. It's been a very interesting ride.
Ramirez Luna said the Odyssey program created a close-knit support system within a larger university.
“I think there's a lot of people that are within the program that I can rely on,” Ramirez Luna said. “Having that sort of smaller community built around people that are like-minded and like me as well — I think that's been the biggest support.”
Senior Tiffanie Grant echoed that sentiment, describing the program as transformative.
“It’s been family,” Grant said. “I’ve really enjoyed being a scholar, a mentee and also a mentor. It’s just been phenomenal for me.”
Beyond celebration, the ceremony also acknowledged the uncertainty many seniors face after graduation as something both Book and Samuels addressed directly.
“It’s okay to not have everything figured out,” Book said in her speech. “You’re going to land somewhere, and it’s going to help you see something new about yourself.”
Odyssey assistant director Jennifer Rogers said that mindset is central to the program's mission.
“They are some of the most driven people I’ve ever worked with,” Rogers said. “I’m excited to see them change the world.”
At the end of the ceremony, seniors walked to the front of the room to receive their Odyssey stole from Book. Gendle encouraged seniors to embrace the moment and think about their journey while taking off their stoles after the event.
“Be proud of what you’ve done,” Gendle said to the seniors. “Let yourself feel it, and then think about the next step.”
For the Class of 2026, that next step is just weeks away at Elon’s undergraduate commencement May 22.