Miss Moorhead 2023
Abigail Vogeler
SERVICE INITIATIVE:
The Me You Don’t See: Promoting Disability Awareness
Hello! My name is Abigail Vogeler and I’m Miss Moorhead 2023. I’m a senior at Concordia College double-majoring in Biology and Theatre Arts, with a minor in Communications. After graduating, I plan on moving to Chicago to continue to work in arts/entertainment in any capacity I can, with the goal of going to graduate school someday. At Concordia,
I am involved in a variety of areas such as music, theatre, first-year orientation, and student groups, one of which is “Sonder," a student organization dedicated
to disability and mental health advocacy.
I co-founded Sonder in the fall of 2021 with the hopes of creating a safe space on campus for people with disabilities and mental health conditions. I’m currently the president. The word Sonder means, “the realization that every passerby is living a life as complex as your own.” This relates to the idea that you really don’t know what's going on in someone's life just from what you see on the outside. Many people are surprised when they find out I’m deaf, have hearing aids, and have autism. I chose to focus on "Disability Awareness,” as my social impact initiative because it’s something I relate to, and disability is also something that doesn’t get talked about enough despite ¼ of the U.S. population having a disability. Disability awareness is about learning, acknowledging, and accepting individuals' experiences as they relate to disability, which helps create to create a more accepting and accessible society.
For my talent, I decided to perform musical theatre because musical theatre combines singing, dancing, and acting, all things I’ve been doing since I was in preschool! However, I also participate in theatre beyond performing. At Concordia College, I have been involved in about a dozen productions in many different areas (acting, choreography, costumes, PR, tech) and I work as the audience development assistant. Currently, I’m also the assistant director of the play Treasure Island, in a
collaboration with Hope Incorporated, Theatre B, and Concordia. In the summer
of 2023, I’ll be working at Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre directing children’s theatre camps and doing choreography for the musical Carrie.
My hometown is Buffalo, MN, and although I miss my family, I have enjoyed my time in Fargo-Moorhead and made lifelong connections here! I can’t wait to make more connections at Miss Minnesota in June!