Abi Simpson

Hello!

I am a very bubbly, fun-loving person and a Midwesterner at heart, born and raised just outside of Springfield, Illinois. I love the outdoors, bugs, bones, and rocks of all kinds. I'm a music lover of just about every genre I've come across, especially 90's and 2000's rock, and I've played saxophone since about 2009. I’m also an artist whose chosen weapons are paint and scratchboards, and I’ve won an award or two for my work over the years.

Genealogy is my trade by choice, particularly for my goal of working in forensics when I leave UIUC. Through my own genealogical work, I have discovered that I am a descendant of enslavers, and I aim to steer my family narratives away from only talking about my ancestor’s accomplishments to also acknowledging their harms. 

I am passionate about survivorship and fostering a culture of consent in higher education. I’m an alumni of the FYCARE team through the Women’s Resources Center, and I am very knowledgeable about resources available for students on campus. I believe in restorative justice and radical empathy as a path towards a better future on campus and beyond.

I am also a settler and scholar on the lands of the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Piankashaw, Wea, Miami, Mascoutin, Odawa, Sauk, Mesquaki, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, Ojibwe, and Chickasaw Nations.