2008 Woodie Awards
Michelle Gardner-Quinn
A personal look intot he life of Gardner Quinn
Hazel Ryerson Senior Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/30/06 Section: News
Michelle Gardner-Quinn saw the world though an exceptional lens, where the mundane became beautiful, problems became challenges and no boundaries or limits existed. Her contagion? An honest exuberance for life that infected the friends she made all over the world.
Michelle was intensely introspective, holding herself to the highest personal standards, yet outgoing and pragmatic about global and community issues. "I was
struck that she felt such a deep and personal connection to nature, and yet she was equally concerned with the well-being of people, of human communities," said Cicilia Danks, Michelle's professor of Environmental Studies while at the University of Vermont.
Intensely independent from a young age, Michelle attended HB Woodlawn, an alternative magnet school for grades 6-12. HB Woodlawn encourages students to design their own educational experience, a philosophy Michelle lived by her entire life. She enrolled at Goucher College, in Baltimore after graduating high school, but her adventurous spirit kept her far from campus. Michelle traveled abroad to Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa, studying, among other things, the peculiarities of giant swamp otters.
Michelle transferred to UVM in part because of the freedom it allowed her in individually designing a combined Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies major.
Her best friend of eight years, UVM senior Tommy Lang, and a life long love of Vermont and snowboarding also contributed to Michelle's decision to transfer to UVM.
"She was awesome at snowboarding" Lang said. Michelle often visited Lang in Vermont, and always impressed him with her talent and nerve on the mountain. "I remember pushing her to do more things, I taught her how to board slide and do rails," Lang said.
"She was great, a goofball on the hill, we would be having snowball fights while going down the trails," Lang said.
As soon as Michelle came to Vermont this fall, she hit the outdoors. She elected to do a six-day Trek program with nine other UVM students the week before the semester started. While hiking the Green Mountains and sliding down Mt. Mansfield, Michelle made many devoted friends.
Michelle was intensely introspective, holding herself to the highest personal standards, yet outgoing and pragmatic about global and community issues. "I was
struck that she felt such a deep and personal connection to nature, and yet she was equally concerned with the well-being of people, of human communities," said Cicilia Danks, Michelle's professor of Environmental Studies while at the University of Vermont.
Intensely independent from a young age, Michelle attended HB Woodlawn, an alternative magnet school for grades 6-12. HB Woodlawn encourages students to design their own educational experience, a philosophy Michelle lived by her entire life. She enrolled at Goucher College, in Baltimore after graduating high school, but her adventurous spirit kept her far from campus. Michelle traveled abroad to Costa Rica, Brazil and South Africa, studying, among other things, the peculiarities of giant swamp otters.
Michelle transferred to UVM in part because of the freedom it allowed her in individually designing a combined Environmental Studies and Latin American Studies major.
Her best friend of eight years, UVM senior Tommy Lang, and a life long love of Vermont and snowboarding also contributed to Michelle's decision to transfer to UVM.
"She was awesome at snowboarding" Lang said. Michelle often visited Lang in Vermont, and always impressed him with her talent and nerve on the mountain. "I remember pushing her to do more things, I taught her how to board slide and do rails," Lang said.
"She was great, a goofball on the hill, we would be having snowball fights while going down the trails," Lang said.
As soon as Michelle came to Vermont this fall, she hit the outdoors. She elected to do a six-day Trek program with nine other UVM students the week before the semester started. While hiking the Green Mountains and sliding down Mt. Mansfield, Michelle made many devoted friends.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
George Clark
posted 10/31/06 @ 10:56 PM EST
The tribute to Michelle Gardner-Quinn is touching, but perhaps in death it wrongfully casts her as being a better person than Michelle was in life.
To give balance to Michelle's character, the article should have acknowledged that she was an alcoholic and exercised poor judgment in matters of personal security. (Continued…)
Grace
posted 11/01/06 @ 11:22 AM EST
The prior comment seems out of place to me. Character assasination of victims won't solve the larger problem of violence against women. Perhaps you knew Ms. (Continued…)
moonbat
Devon
posted 11/17/06 @ 12:10 PM EST
Yeah, George, what is the matter with you? She was 21 years old! How mature were you at that age, or did you spring up fully formed from under a rock? :) I have been following this story because I was very touched by Michelle's spirit. (Continued…)
Paul Damon
posted 11/29/06 @ 3:22 PM EST
Hazel Ryerson's eulogy is excellently done. A beautiful way to remember Ms. Quinn. Mr. Clark is simply a misanthrope, disguising his spite with a very contrived concern. (Continued…)
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