Colleen Kimsey

As a Quaker and an American in a particularly tumultuous period in our history, Colleen is interested in peace in all it’s messiness. What sacrifices are required for peace? What does having made peace feel like over the course of decades, or maintained for a lifetime? The opportunity to travel to post conflict countries to learn about the work of peacemaking is the honor of a lifetime which they are excited to make the most of. Their travel itinerary incluldes Trinidad, Colombia, Iceland, Lebanon, South Africa, Bonia, Sri Lanka, and Japan.

Alumni Reflections

How did the Bonderman impact your life?

“The Bonderman taught me that there is always, always a way through. And that no matter how dark it got, I could count in myself to find the crack that lets the light in. The Bonderman was the most productive wasted time in my life. I left home for the Bonderman unsure of how to build a meaningful life for myself. Through the clarity of loneliness, I came to understand myself more clearly.”

What are you doing now?

“I live in Seattle where I teach mycology and foraging. I also work for my Quaker meeting.”