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Hello? Hello! This is Abigail Kiser typing away, sending greetings to everyone reading. Those who know me call me Abba -- YES like the band; no I'm not Swedish. Some call me Bosillo. You could call me Peter Pan if you wanted to! I come from the faraway flatlands of Northern Virginia, though call Seattle my home. I am 19 years old and getting younger! I moved to the West coast two years ago to investigate University of Washington's Comparative History of Ideas program. I was attracted to the idea of approaching broad fields of studying order to synthesize a specific self-designed major. While the program itself was engaging, I did not find the large-scale institution very satisfying and am currently transitioning to a smaller, more liberal college like Evergreen State University or California Institute for Integral Studies. I plan to work on an organic date farm in Southern California through WWOOF before my studies start again in the Fall.
When I was a sophomore in high school, I was accepted to The Governor's School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Virginia. That summer, I met friends who continue to be a positive force in my life. The relationships formed at camp are a giant part of the self discovery that happens there. I cannot wait to meet the family at Camp Augusta, campers and parents included!
I love art of all forms and performances. Since middle school, theatre has shown me the importance of active play. I like finding and collecting things, and then reassembling them. I draw and write and sang lil’ songs on the guitar box. Most of my friends and I play music together, as well as trade poems and ideas. For the past year, I have been a writing and performance mentor to high-school students through the Richard Hugo house. Learning about theater and poetry with younger beans is crucial, to be inspired and discover what we have to share.
Previously, I lived in a condemned house in Seattle's east Capitol Hill. In order to celebrate its impermanence, our family hosted several open art parties for the community to create on the walls. I love the creative comrades I have found in the Northwest! We are always outside exploring the city or cooking around the fire pit in our backyard. I like to camp, bike, and rock climb in the nearby mountains. When I can, I like to play small music venues around Seattle with the hootenanny of folks I know. Music and writing have always been important expressions of my creative spirit. As personal relations manager of “Bricolage”, a student run literary magazine at University of Washington (UW), I was in charge of ads around campus and encouraging students to apply their work. I also joined the Radical Women discussion forum, which supports the rights of workers during direct action to make UW sweatshop free.
There are many aspects of the university which I deeply appreciate. When I discovered the Renegade Garden behind the campus greenhouses, I came back often to get my hands dirty and learn about urban farming from the gardeners who worked there. Through UW, I was employed as an after school tutor for students at McKnight, a nearby middle school. We would work on their homework together and talk about the options available to them after high school. I also become involved volunteering in Pre-K and 5th grade classrooms at The New School, a public liberal elementary school. My experiences there lead me to seek a job as an assistant art teacher through Arts Corps, an organization providing free mixed-media classes in after-school programs. I love working with young explorers and sharing an active curiosity about the mysteries of this plentiful earth.
I sought work at Camp Augusta, because I agree with strong moral missions and dedication to a holistic education which values the natural world. I want to learn more about what I have to share within different communities and help children spread curiosity and self reflection. When we part, I hope that campers will take with them an enthusiasm for interaction and challenge. We have the response ability to re-enchant the world and have FUN! When you meet me, tell me about your latest dream or your first childhood memory. Ask me what my spirit animal is or what my name means in Hebrew. I cannot wait to play with everyone at camp and be surprised by their intuitions and wisdom.
I write you from the road! At the moment I am traveling down the coast with two incredible comrades. We have been moving slowly south from Seattle for the past few weeks, sleeping under the stars and sharing with each other everything we have to offer. Right now we are at a hot springs in Southern California! Our paths part in a few days and from there I will welcome Camp Augusta as a home for the summer. I cannot wait to discover camp and embrace an Augusta life dedicated to the art and action of peaceful livin! YEEHOO! See you!
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