IMAGINE IT NOW.
Your first summer at Augusta. After a windy journey down the roads of Nevada City, you glance outside your vehicle’s window (maybe a bus, a car, a helicopter?) to notice a field of woodchips materializing before you beneath the shady cover of trees–giants? Atop the woodchips stand an intimidatingly animated hoard of people all wearing the same shirt, singing an unfamiliar song, “On a lake called Vera there’s a place we know…” and moving their hands in frantic, hilarious motions all at the same time. Suddenly your mode of transport comes to a stop. You breathe in the clear, albeit dusty air and place your clammy fingertips on the handle of your suitcase, wondering what the next weeks hold for you. For some of you, this has already happened, and for others it is yet a mirage in the distance, waiting for you as soon as the final bell rings to release you from the carpeted dungeon called “school.” Despite this initial nervousness, you are soon welcomed into the arms of a stranger, who is somehow more enthusiastic to see you than anyone you have ever met! It’s your counselor, and they’re there to deliver some good old-fashioned Augustan magic right to you!
WELCOME TO AUGUSTA. WELCOME HOME.
<— Here’s me with my dog Willow. She’s super fluffy and loves being petted.
Hello humans of the interwebs!
My name is Deedee and I’m so excited to be returning to Camp Augusta for my sixth summer in total, and my first summer as a full staff member! While I go by ‘Deedee’ to all of my friends at home, I also go by ‘Poptart’ at camp. ’Poptart’ became one of my camp nicknames during my second summer at Augusta, because of my love for the strawberry Poptart (not that we have any at camp 🙂 ) and because I can often be seen popping up and down on my unicycle like I’m coming out of a toaster. Feel free to call me that. Some of my other nicknames include: Dee, Deeds, Deedster, Dudsey, Eedeed, Gecko, Danderson, Dandelion, Danderz, Andie Anderson, Anders, Dandy, Deanna Junior, DJ, Deedeelicious, 360, Clutch, and Black Diamond. For now, however, Poptart will do.
Here’s a picture of me and my friends wearing bucket hats at the Yuba River! (Bucket hat credits to Buckets Deller, another Camp Augustan.) —>
My first summer at Augusta was 2010, when I was a quiet, curious, 14-year-old camper in Oak 3, much like the camper described above. I didn’t know anyone at camp besides my older brother Patrick, who was also a camper for the first time. My favorite clinics were Unicycling and Riflery, and I pretty much stuck to signing up for those every day. It seems magical to me now to be returning to this incredible community, at age 19, as an Oak counselor, unicycling and riflery teacher (among other clinics), and spreader of Wish, Wonder, and Surprise! Oh my!
I love the idea of spirit animals. Can you guess what mine is? Let’s talk about it at camp!
I hail from the hilly region of California known as San Francisco, and attend Stanford University, likely studying Psychology and English. Camp Augusta was the first place to spark my interest in psychology when I entered the CIRCLE program at age 16. (Click here to see a video of me and other CIRCLErs reflecting on our experience). I hope to someday be a writer or a filmmaker of some sort. Unless I change my mind. Which I probably will.
Making short films has been a passion of mine since 8th grade, when I created a trailer for my 8th grade musical after I didn’t get a part in it. I spent two months filming, interviewing, and editing until I was satisfied, and my five minute film was shown to an audience of about 1,000 people before the performance. From that point on, I made over 75 short films (and counting), mostly comedic shorts with a sprinkling of social justice documentaries.
Something else I enjoy is comedy. I performed as a part of my sketch comedy group in high school, and now at Stanford I am a part of a sketch group, a stand up group, and a satyrical newspaper. My sketch comedy group teaches creative writing to second graders and then takes what they write and turns it into comedic skits. We then perform a set of our skits to the children, and at a later show, to college students at Stanford. I love the fact that this club (Flying Treehouse) combines my interests in working with children, writing, and performing comedy.
Another activity I’m involved in at school is dorm government. Currently I hold the position of “Birthday Fairy” in my dorm, which means that I get to celebrate all 90 of the birthdays in my dorm by using my craft skills to make birthday cards, gift baskets, and banners. I also brought a little Augusta style to my dorm this year by holding a Tie-Dye event, where over 30 people in my dorm came to the lounge to make tie-dye shirts and bandanas! I still love seeing the colors!
Here’s me performing “The Adventures of Cookie the Cat and Brownie the Horse,” a sketch I wrote with my second grade class. I’m Cookie the Cat here.
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Since I have been a part of Augusta for six years now, it has really become a part of who I am. I was a camper for two years, a CIRCLEr for one, and a Junior Counselor (JC) for two. I received my 5-year box last year and stuffed it full of all of the Augusta memories I could. Letters from friends, journal entries, wood chips, and my felted bear Alfred. My dorm room is decked out in wood cookies, and most of my wardrobe is either tie-dye or camp t-shirts. Now I can only hope to give back some of the love I have received by being a counselor at Augusta. So here is my personal guarantee: if there is anything I can do to make your Augustan experience more magical/unicorny, please ask me! I will do everything in my power to make all Augustan wishes come true.
Also, if you see a small, fluffy, white-brown dog running around camp, it is probably mine. Her name is Willow and she’s the dog I’m hugging in one of my pictures! She loves being part of cabin activities, eating food scraps off the dining area ground, and giving kisses. She recently recovered from being hit by a car, and now sleeps a bit more in her old age of 10 years. If you have a minute to spare, give her a pat on the head. She appreciates it.
Another important disclaimer: keep your eyes peeled to sign up for WOODCHIP BUDDIES! If you don’t know what it is yet, ask me at camp. It’s my favorite clinic of all time, partly because I made it into a clinic and partly because it is objectively the most awesome clinic ever. I can’t wait to see you all soon!
A Monsters Inc. character that I felted in Hawaii!
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Me MFGing for the evening program Giants Wizards and Elves!
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