Audre Lewis
Graduation year: 2025
High school: Northfield High School
Hometown: Denver, Colo.
Major: Women, gender, and sexuality studies (WGSS)
Minor: Disability studies
Activities: Chi Omega Gamma sorority, Augie Autistic Experiences
Internship: Oral history archivist with Pride in Memory
Post-grad plans: Since graduating in December, I've been taking some time back home in Gunnison, Colo. Aside from working, I have been creating a magazine for Hunters of Color. Over the next year, I plan to continue various creative projects, attend a writing residency and maybe apply to a master's program in literature and social justice.
Why Augustana?
I was initially recruited to run cross country and track for Augustana, which I did for about two years. I knew I wanted to go to a small school out of state, and Augie immediately caught my attention.
On a campus tour, a faculty member reassured me that no matter what kind of problem I was having on campus, someone would know someone who could help. This sense of the integrated community at Augustana just felt like a yes.
Are you where you thought you'd be when you first came to campus?
I think younger me was entering college with the hope of success that most students do, but I don't think I could have predicted the journey I had. I went into college planning to pursue kinesiology and sports medicine, changed around a few times and landed myself in a very niche major that I absolutely adore.
Two years into college, I was struggling with some hardcore burnout and decided to take a semester off. This addition to my path ultimately made me proud of who I've become.
Who helped you get to where you are now?
I want to thank some faculty members whose mentorship and kindness have truly supported me throughout my journey. In the WGSS department, Dr. Simonsen, Kiki, Dr. Wolff and Dr. Webb are some of my favorite advisors and professors. Thanks for always supporting me through my personal transitions, challenging me to create great work and being overall lovely humans. Love you guys.
In collaboration with some WGSS faculty, Dr. Strunk advised me during my various projects with Pride in Memory. This experience was so valuable to me ... I hope we can continue to work together!
I would also like to share some appreciation of Claire Brackel Packer in CORE. Her ability to synthesize information to unscramble my crazy brain is amazing! Claire helped me brainstorm my senior creative projects and envision a future for myself where my multifaceted talents would be appreciated.
I also owe a lot of thanks to my friends and little COG family. We take care of each other, and I love that about us.
Peak experience?
I think an experience that makes me proud was my Senior Inquiry presentation at the WGSS tea talk. It felt so important to me because I had moments during school where I thought I wasn't going to finish, let alone create a body of work that I was super lit-up about.
For my Senior Inquiry, I was presenting the archival and interview work I had done for Pride in Memory. It was a wonderful intersection of theory, reciprocal research and different media forms. It was really cool to finish my senior year strong after working so hard.
What surprised you?
Tornadoes! What humid winters feel like! The ice on the sidewalk outside of Westie! I just don't think I'm made for Midwest weather.
What will you miss the most?
I'll miss being silly gremlins with my friends and running around campus. Walking down the Slough early in the morning and watching the cranes. I'll miss what a violin sounds like in the chapel and the trees by Seminary. I'll miss seeing everyone I love on my way to class. I'm going to miss my giant fairy garden window in my Andreen apartment. I'll miss sitting in the grass with all the cherry blossoms. Weirdly enough, I think I'm going to miss packing my dinner and locking myself in the library, too.
Advice for the Class of 2029?
Embrace your multiplicity! Augie is a place where you can have multiple interests and passions. Explore what lights you up and try new things — this is what made my experience at Augie so fulfilling.
"I first met Audre in my pandemic-era virtual course on feminists’ use of creativity, comedy and satire to expose inequities. She went on to use theories of poetic play to question expressions of 'normalcy' and 'divergence,' whether by investigating accommodations for neurodiverse students or by conducting interviews for the Pride in Memory Project. With tenacity, originality and care, Audre has cultivated the ability to ask difficult questions and to invent the language we need to see them in new ways."