Making space for all to play
When it comes to being outdoors, Camila Hess-Neustadt isn’t afraid to speak out and prompt change. She has long observed the lack of representation in outdoor sports culture, whether it was skiing with her friends, going on organized river rafting trips, or learning how to fix bikes.
Hess-Neustadt, a Clark Honors College senior who is majoring in psychology and global studies, works for the UO Outdoor Program. She organizes and leads a series of outings for students across the university. But that’s not all she does. She has spent most of her tenure there trying to bring in groups of people who aren’t always represented when it comes to outdoor activities.
She has led a BIPOC learn-to-ski excursion. She has worked with people with physical disabilities to take bike rides or ski days. And she created an indigenous bike ride for students. She says because she has a disability, she wants people to know that they can participate regardless of having a condition where others might rule them out.
“Having a disability has motivated me more to make the outdoors accessible,” says Hess-Neustadt, who was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia in her first year of college. The condition makes her inadvertently fall asleep at different times during the day. “Most of the time, my disability doesn’t impact my ability to go outside, but sometimes it does. So having that experience when it does prompts me to want to work for other people and be more aware of it.”
Because of her condition, Hess Neustadt has a service dog named Gus, who makes sure she stays awake when she’s supposed to.
At UO, Hess-Neustadt keeps up a busy pace of schoolwork and working with the Outdoor Program. She says one of the highlights for her in the workplace was helping put on the “No Man’s Land Film Festival,” the first all-women and queer outdoor adventure film festival.
She’s also got plans for her thesis project for the CHC and has been working closely with her thesis advisor, Robert Mauro, an associate professor of psychology.
In this video profile, you'll see how Hess-Neustadt continues to make an impact on the lives of marginalized populations through her sheer dedication to creating a fair and just community.
Camila Hess-Neustadt
Hometown: Flagstaff, Arizona
Guilty pleasure: Utterly predictable romantic comedies
Coffee or tea: Earl Grey tea with oat milk
What's in the fridge: Currently, I have three different cheeses – paneer, haloumi and goat cheese. I have Gochujang, pickled carrots, two eggs that I’m saving for a rainy day, and Indian food leftovers.
Life philosophy: Even if they don't turn out as expected, you will never regret decisions made out of kindness and grounded in optimism.