ABIGAIL BRIGGS
Colorado Springs, CO, 80904
859-475-7567
PROFILE
Energetic leader and strategic urban planner with quality attention to detail and the big picture. Prolific visual artist with humanitarian focus. Passionate about the structural and cultural design of inhabited spaces, particularly refugee camps and isolated communities in cities. Determined to utilize collaboration, problem solving skills and actionable steps to address complex issues. Multi-disciplinary creative. Content writer, visual artist, trained musician and student-centered teacher with progressive vision, determination and reliable project management skills. Encouraging, adaptive to change and adept at bringing organization to chaos. Knows conversational French, engaged with global cultures and committed to at risk youth and refugees. Capable, dependable, passionate, but above all: values long term progress, actionable steps and learning from mistakes.
PORTFOLIO:
SKILLS
Communication Skills & Conflict Management
Project Manager
Expert Tutor for over 10 years
Community Engager
Data Specialist - Excel, ArcGIS Pro etc.
Adobe Products - Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
Database Systems - Studio Enterprise, eCommerce, Infinite Campus etc.
Graphic Design & Visual Art Skills
Classically-trained Musician: Cello, Piano, Guitar, Ukulele, Harmonica, Banjo
EDUCATION
Master of Urban and Regional Planning
Expected Graduation: 2022, University of Colorado Denver
B.A. in Communications with International Emphasis
May, 2016, Asbury University, Wilmore, KY
GPA: 3.98
Academic Honors: Summa Cum Laude
2016 Department Academic Excellence Award
Governor’s Scholars Scholarship
LinkedIn:
Visual Art Portfolio:
EXPERIENCE 2015-present
Master of Urban & Regional Planning August 2020- present
University of Colorado Denver, Denver/Remote, Colorado
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Proactively learn and engage. Collaborate with other grad students, study the history of urban planning, engage new programs for data visualization, and learn ethical methods of data analysis.
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Exposure to a plethora of complicated programs with little training. Necessity to engage community and use written & visual comm. skills.
Math and Piano Tutor/Teacher August 2009-present
Self-Employed, Lexington, KY; Colorado Springs, Colorado; 232 Music Studios, Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Creatively tutor youth in a wide variety of subjects (mainly math) and children in piano. Specialize one-on-one but also teach in groups.
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Proactively communicate with parent and child to collaboratively facilitate the best possible learning outcome. Provide curriculum and materials.
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Exercise good intuition, listening skills, imagination, and encouragement to best foster care, growth, and confidence. Research and proactively implement cultural and/or learning style sensitivities.
Juvenile Detention Center Temporary Aide & Long Term Sub April 2019-June 2020
Zebulon Pike Youth Services, Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Proactively filled multiple roles in a stressful and ill-resourced environment geared towards educating incarcerated male youth.
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Trained myself in and filled the following positions: Program Assistant and Registrar (approx. two months), Music & Art Teacher (approx. two months), full-time English Teacher and Librarian (7 months), and full-time Math teacher (4 months).
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Created lesson plans, managed reading/math intervention and documentation for MTSS, lead aspects of PBL projects, and helped meet audit standards- all outside of my job description. Regularly redirected youth and helped create a safe environment.
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Quickly learned new programs and responsibilities when a position suddenly needed support due to high turnover rate.
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Adhered to COVID-19 stipulations and adjusted math curriculum to highly differentiated classroom.
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Became passionate about strategically designing our cities to help address youth in gangs, ill-resourced communities, and the structural and cultural design of prisons.
Refugee Support Volunteer April-June 2017
Refugee Support Europe, Filippiada and Kyllini, Greece
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Helped maintain and innovate delicate food and clothes distribution systems in two refugee camps in a dignified way. Partnered with local Greek farmers to bring fresh produce to a “market” as well as create “clothes shops” on sites.
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Implemented Refugee Support’s “Code of Conduct” to best provide consistency and fairness to all in a highly sensitive environment.
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Designed and lead the collaborative completion of culturally sensitive decorative wall patterns in Filippiada that had practical application, broke down power-distance barriers and brought life. Was asked by the head of Refugee Support Europe to lead a similar project in a refugee camp in Kyllini and completed a larger collaborative project that culminated in the presentation of a mural at the close of Ramadan.
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Became passionate about redesigning refugee camps as inhabited spaces in need of Urban Planning. Witnessed several architectural endeavors to alleviate the situation, but the systemic problem is in desperate need of vision and actionable steps.
Volunteer Work with Resettled Refugees October 2017-present
Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Creatively teach ESL to two resettled refugee families. Network and try to provide other free tutors as needed. Also provide memory care and music therapy for an elderly Burundi family that lives in the isolated ill-resourced part of CO Springs.
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Exercise good intuition, listening skills, imagination, and encouragement to facilitate the best possible learning outcome. Cultivate care, growth, and confidence. Research and proactively implement cultural and/or learning style sensitivities.
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Became passionate about strategically redesigning impoverished and isolated communities in cities. Often there is not good access to resources, transportation, good housing, parks, safety from crime, and so forth. This can be changed through Urban Design and Planning.
International Communications Internship August-December 2015
Le Pavé D’Orsay, Paris, France
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Proactively maintained needs of intercultural events in a small creative space, including art exhibitions, music concerts, or theater readings.
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Creatively integrated conversational French, intercultural interpersonal and customer service skills, and a high level of adaptability.
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Utilized Marketing and Design Skills to help propel events.
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Became passionate about the historical and physical infrastructure of cities and its continued ramifications. Paris is a fascinating urban research project, carrying the weight of barricades and revolutions, royal boulevards and architectural glory, all directly tied to the social equity and quality of life for citizens in the city. It also includes interesting examples of gardens and public spaces amidst the bustle of modernity.
Neighbors: Perspective in Crisis, 2016
Narrative Painting in response to Paris terrorist attacks and Syrian refugee crisis.
Acrylic on wood, 4' x 4' 2"
Resides at Asbury University
Refugee Support Europe, 2017
Collaborative effort in two refugee camps:
Arabic wall patterns & two-sided
Mural/poster painting, 3.28' x 9.48'
Filippiada & Kyllini, Greece
Rhongyan Picture Dictionary Project, 2018
Digitally illustrated culturally sensitive start-up content for Books Unbound.
Hundreds of images & page designs
Bangladesh & Rohingyan Refugee Camps
VISUAL ART PROJECTS December 2015-present
Lexington, Kentucky; Filippiada & Kyllini, Greece; Colorado Springs, Colorado
Artist Spotlight Project, 2019
Video that highlights my mission as an artist. See for details on all projects.
Portraits & Digital Design, present
Wedding & Funeral Portraits
Refugee & Social Justice Portraits
Website Design, Blog Posts
Mural Ideas and Submissions, present
Poor Richard's Submission, 2019
Passionate about using visual art to uplift cities and promote critical thinking and social equity.
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These projects continue to refine my design skills as applicable to building better communities.
