My name is Liza Marie Odom. I’ve dedicated my life to helping children thrive—from majoring in education and earning a degree in psychology to pursuing my master’s in special education. My career has spanned special education classrooms, DHS child welfare, and community-based family engagement. I’ve had the honor of consulting on early childhood programs, literacy initiatives, wellness partnerships, and career-readiness programs with state agencies like Oklahoma CareerTech and the Department of Education.​ But none of that compares to the inspiration I found in my own home.​ My son Helio has been building robots since age two—literally from hot glue, coffee cans, and old computer parts. His curiosity was endless, and his drive to understand the “why” behind everything led us down a path of kits, programs, and robotics clubs. But time and again, we found the same problems: a lack of challenge, minimal explanation, and missed opportunities to truly teach critical thinking.​ I watched Helio and other bright kids put together robot kits without understanding how or why they worked. There was no focus on physics, electronics, or troubleshooting. Worse, there was no plan to develop their leadership, collaboration, or design thinking skills—the ones they’ll actually need for the careers of tomorrow. So, I created Oddball Academy. At Oddball, kids don’t just build robots—they understand them. They learn how torque works, why coding logic matters, how to use washers and gears effectively, and how to adapt designs for their neurodivergent friends. We include parents in the process because real learning happens when it continues at home. And we go way beyond summer camps—we offer a year-round progression that prepares kids to compete, lead, and innovate. If you want your child to learn more than how to follow directions—to think like an engineer, to lead a team, to solve real-world problems—you might just be the perfect Oddball. Let’s build a future worth inventing.