ALUM SPOTLIGHT: ABBY FLYER

Lose Yourself at Usdan, Find Yourself Surrounded by Lemurs 

Our Alum Spotlights highlight former Usdan students who have gone on to have exciting careers in the arts and beyond. Written to inspire our current and future students, the spotlights show how you can lose yourself for summer and find yourself for a lifetime at Usdan.

When Usdan alum Abby Flyer reflects on her summers at Usdan, she describes a magical oasis.  

"It felt like we were taking a bus ride to a different world.” 

For Abby, who studied Musical Theater and Creative Writing at Usdan in 2013 and 2014, that "different world" offered something rare: a place to immerse herself in nature, explore her creativity, and become who she is. 

Years later, she found a place that feels familiar. 

Today, Abby is the Communications and Education Specialist at the Duke Lemur Center in Durham, North Carolina, where she helps people connect with one of the world's most endangered mammals. On her best days, she says, it feels surprisingly similar to wandering through Usdan's wooded campus. 

"It's like being in a unique little dimension where I can be in the forest with lemurs." 

That sense of wonder has been a driving force over the course of Abby's life and career. 

After graduating from high school, she attended Duke University, studying Psychology and Evolutionary Anthropology with a minor in English. While she loved learning about science, she eventually realized that conducting research wasn't what energized her most. 

"I realized that my favorite part of my job was telling people about my research and not actually doing it," Abby reflected. "That's kind of when I discovered science communication as a field." 

She went on to earn a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins University.  

At the Duke Lemur Center, Abby writes, creates educational programs, and leads tours that invite visitors into the fascinating world of lemur conservation. Her skills as a tour leader were especially strengthened by the Musical Theater stage.  

Giving engaging tours to hundreds of visitors requires performance, storytelling, and confidence, skills Abby began developing at Usdan. 

"Musical Theater at Usdan made me feel like I was doing something on a new level. That gave me a lot more confidence." 

That confidence extended well beyond the stage. Usdan also became the first place Abby truly felt she belonged. 

"I realized I was gay at Usdan," Abby shared. "It was the first environment where I had that playful ribbing about having a crush on a girl... and it felt like when you tease your friends about liking boys." 

Surrounded by supportive peers and teachers, Abby found the freedom to understand and accept herself in ways she hadn't before. 

This experience continues to shape how she approaches her work today. Whether she's introducing visitors to a curious lemur or explaining why conservation matters, Abby builds meaningful connection through the simple acts of wonder and appreciation.  

"The best thing that you can do is appreciate nature," Abby said. "Because it's when people don't appreciate nature and don't care about nature that they stop protecting it." 

Abby’s philosophy echoes one of Usdan's core values: an immersive natural world is an essential part of the artistic process. On Usdan's 140-acre campus, students do not simply make art outdoors. Nature becomes a collaborator, creating space for courage, authenticity, curiosity, and expression. 

For Abby, Usdan began a lifelong relationship with both creativity and the natural world. Her advice to current Usdan students reflects the values visible in the life that she has built: "One of the best things Usdan students can do is appreciate where you are and appreciate how much time you get to spend being in nature while also getting to do the things you're passionate about." 

For Abby, that appreciation began in the woods of Usdan. Today, it continues in the forests of North Carolina, surrounded by lemurs. 

Interested in studying Musical Theater, Creative Writing, or Nature at Usdan this summer? Enroll today for Session 4B (July 27 – August 21)!