OM Worlds: an intersection of friendship and creativity
By Addison Welborn
Owasso’s 2025 junior team with first place medals taken by Jeremy Ramkaran
On May 21, students of various ages from across the world will descend upon Michigan State University with one simple goal: be as creative as possible. Teams of two to seven kids will compete in the highest-level creativity competition for students in the world, Odyssey of the Mind (OM) World Finals. Five Owasso students, led by their coach and the Co-Director of Odyssey of the Mind Richard Zamor, will be at the competition. Owasso’s junior team will be there, but these juniors are more than just teammates: they’re also best friends.
Junior Sean Gunter is new to Odyssey of the Mind this year. He joined because he saw what his friends got a chance to do as members of the 2024 team.
“I saw what [they] were doing at OM; I thought it was pretty interesting, so I thought I would try myself,” Gunter explained. “It’s pretty fun. I've been creative in a way that I’m not usually … [which is] definitely good for my brain. It's fun being with friends, [and] it's fun traveling.”
Gunter is excited to travel to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals (known by the team as Worlds) because of the time he will get to spend with his friends. He also said he is excited to meet new people, especially Odyssey of the Mind members from outside the United States.
“You get to see a lot more people compete from around the world. Seeing [how] other cultures take on these problems … will be interesting,” explained Gunter.
However, Gunter is most excited for the competition aspect of the trip.
“I would say [I’m most excited about] winning, [though] I'm not too sure that's gonna happen,” he said with a laugh. “But I'm pretty excited [to] have fun, perform, do my best [and] for everyone to do their best.”
Worlds is different compared to the Oklahoma Odyssey of the Mind competition the team attended this year. There are many more people involved, including competitors, coaches, chaperones, judges and staff. Additionally, Worlds provides a greater level of competition for the students. During the 2025 season, the Owasso junior team was the only group in the entire state competing in their age range and category. This meant they automatically received first place at the Oklahoma competition and automatically qualified for Worlds.
Junior Rhett Dawson traveled to Worlds last year and will be going again this year.
“[Worlds is] a lot bigger,” Dawson stated. “There’s a lot more on the line and it’s a lot more work because you're driving seven hours to compete. You want to be a lot more prepared.”
Part of the spirit of Odyssey of the Mind is that nothing is ever completely done because competitors can always come up with a new, creative way to do something.
Despite the demanding process and increased pressure that Worlds brings, the Owasso team never loses sight of the reason they are participating in Odyssey of the Mind.
“I rejoined Odyssey of the Mind because I wanted to do a group project with my friends and I thought we would do well together,” explained Dawson.
He said his favorite thing about Worlds last year was the people he was with and the memories they made together. For the Owasso team, Odyssey of the Mind is not about competing. Instead, it’s about being your best and having fun with your friends.