Katya Schwab

‘proper’ noun; pronunciation: [Kah-tee-uh Shh-whab]

Definition(s):

1. A counselor joining Camp Augusta for the first time in 2018; someone who is stoked for a summer spent outside in pursuit of magic, adventure, surprises, and the perfect s’more.

Ex: Katya is thrilled to be joining the Augusta family, bringing her love of kids, the outdoors, and adventure event planning to the team; previously, she spent her time at NRDC planning events in support of the environment and at Randolph College leading the activities council, planning everything from pottery painting to powder-paint battles – which she considers the ultimate training for oatmeal fights.

2. A quirky, vertically challenged human, measuring 5’4”, who has a difficult time staying on the ground; an adventure enthusiast who enjoys skydiving with her family, rock climbing, and hiking.

Ex: As a child, Katya and her older brother would don grocery bag ‘parachutes’, clamber into their family apple trees, and leap from the branches, convinced they were skydiving. This dream actualized and she is now a licensed skydiver with her brother and parents. Recently, her adventuring has focused on rock climbing and she can often be found clambering around various cliffs in California.

 

 

3. A lover of learning, both teacher and life-long learner.

Ex: Her passion for inspiring people and sharing her love of the outdoors has inspired Katya to work as a counselor in Colorado at “Outdoor Lab” which takes students from the Denver suburbs into the mountains for a week of environmental science, camping, and plenty of hiking. She has worked as a volunteer tutor teaching math, history, and reading. She regularly seeks new knowledge from cooking to coding classes. Outside of academia, she often finds herself both mentoring and absorbing knowledge from new and experienced rock climbers alike.

4. A creative soul with a touch of wanderlust who has traveled most of the United States and dreams of traveling the world; a photographer fascinated by the unique perspectives her camera reveals on her travels.

Ex: Katya is generally the person behind the camera and is intrigued by photos that look like paintings. When embarking on her numerous cross-country solo road trips, her camera is always close by, ready to capture new memories. She has driven across the country several times, taking a different route on each journey. She once moved to London for a summer on her own and spent a whirlwind 48 hours in Dublin – (sharing travel stories is a favorite past-time).

5. An animal lover who is really excited about meeting the herd at Augusta.

Ex: Katya grew up riding horses and can’t wait to be around more four-hooved friends this summer. Her horse, Samson, is now retired, getting chubby and happy in a pasture in Colorado. Katya is also a dog-mom to a ‘bear-dog’ named Jesi, a bouncy ball of 2-year-old energy who loves to swim even when it’s below freezing (it must be a mountain dog thing). When Jesi stands up, she and Katya are at eye level (see above: vertically challenged).

6. A musician (of sorts); a lover of all things art and theater.

Ex: Katya grew up playing the fiddle and recently decided to re-learn the finicky string instrument. She loves hearing original songs played by her friends and is looking forward to improving her campfire singing game. Katya spent her early childhood acting in community theater and recently jumped back into theater by way of improv.

7. A Coloradan, born and raised.

Ex: Katya was raised in the small mountain town of Durango, Colorado on five acres, nestled in a valley near the Animas River; she spent most of her childhood riding horses, inventing games with her brother on their family farm, and occasionally pushing him into the pond at opportune moments.

8. A nerd – the self-professed, philosophical kind.

Ex: When she is not adventuring, cooking, at improv, or learning to code, Katya is curled in her hammock with a good book – or jotting notes for novel ideas of her own. She reads everything from historical fiction to sci-fi and beyond. She thinks that Nietzsche and Sartre get a bad rap and will gladly chat metaphysics, ethics, or existentialism; her inner philosopher is always game for some musings with other inquisitive souls. Don’t worry, she is far friendlier than Socrates!

9. A person with a fluid definition and many stories still to tell.

Ex: Katya believes that each person has an amazing freedom to craft and recraft their own life. She believes the world still has some undiscovered magic. She believes that a curious life is a life fully lived and looks forward to hearing and telling many stories at Augusta over the summer.

 

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