In her own words
Abigail Hagopian
In second grade, I – a first generation, low-income student – proudly declared that I would be a teacher despite not knowing where that opportunity would come from. In every aspect of my life, whether in classrooms, teachers’ office hours, the summer camp I had the privilege of attending every year through camperships, my job as a counselor at that same camp, or through the transformative outdoor leadership gap year program I most recently graduated from, my teachers, camp counselors, bosses, and mentors have been my greatest supporters—those who lifted me up when I doubted myself, who saw my potential even when I couldn’t. I am pursuing higher education in hopes of being even a fraction of who these leaders were to me to the next generations, specifically through environmental education. My passion has only been strengthened through my experiences as an older sister, volunteer tutor, camp counselor, youth mentor, and backpacking instructor. In each of these spaces, I’ve found such purpose in listening to, loving, and teaching each child and adult I’ve had the honor of working with. Nothing brings me greater joy than facilitating and witnessing the moment a student finally masters a skill they never thought they would. So, despite not knowing where this opportunity would come from, here I am. Higher education will fulfill my dreams of becoming an outdoor educator, and it has already provided me with so many opportunities to grow deeper in my leadership and educator abilities through outdoor leadership programs and education classes.