Meet the Wildflyers: Odacia

Meet Odacia - her friends call her “Day Day,” but she calls herself “Queen.”

Odacia was born in Minnesota, but has been moving around for a while since her mother moved to Kentucky four years ago. Living with her negligent mother meant that she had to be responsible for taking care of herself as well as her younger brother. Turning 18 this January, she moved out of the house at the age of 10.

“I was by myself,” she recalls, “I had no choice, and had to learn quickly.”

She got in touch with our founder Carley through an employment agency and applied, with Wildflyer happy to have her. With a few months under her belt now, Odacia hopes to rise to management sometime soon.

“Working at Wildflyer gives me a sense of stability and commitment,” she says, “It’s easy to pick up and I have a lot of fun.”

Beyond that, her job at Wildflyer has also opened her eyes towards future opportunities - her goal is to start an outreach program for youth like herself someday. 

Looking back on her journey, Odacia feels like she doesn’t know everything, but she sure does know a whole lot. “I’m grateful that I started this life early. I’ve learned to use every resource possible.”

The things she’s learned reflect in her ambition and positive attitude: for others like her struggling, her advice is to take advantage of every resource possible, but to use it to “stack your bread and move out.”

Odacia describes herself using the word “Queen” - it represents the good head on her shoulders, the wisdom she’s gained, and her unmatched ability to “get sh*t done.” It would be a challenge for anyone to disagree.