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Astrid Nielsen Boyd was born on September 25, 2003 in Berkeley, California to Sarah Nielsen and Bill Boyd. She has one older brother, William Boyd. 

Astrid was always exposed to a lot of culture. Growing up in Oakland provided a very diverse environment, and her mother’s familial connection to Europe allowed for traveling to different countries.

All throughout her childhood, her family was almost constantly in nature. When they weren’t, they were making plans. Twice a year, they would camp in Yosemite National Park. During the school year, weekend hikes in Marin County were common. And in the summer, wherever they were, being outdoors was a necessity. 

At home, nature was a factor too. With a large garden full of plants and trees, there was always something to do. Astrid and her brother loved to play with the chickens they had for eggs, and there was always a great deal of cats roaming around. All of these factors led to Astrid’s fascination with animals and the outdoors.

 

Something that Astrid felt she witnessed quite often was death. Chickens would die, cats would disappear, and, of course, family members would pass away. When she was 4, her grandfather on her father’s side died. When she was 9, her mother’s father passed away in Germany.  When she was 10, her beloved cat, Seba, died. When she was 16, her father’s mother died. The list goes on. Up to 10 dear chickens, 4 adored cats. This taught Astrid about the toughness of nature, and about the value of life. It also made her feel extremely connected to her family and loved ones. 

 

Astrid has always felt close to history. Her house has been standing for 85 years, at least half of it. After her grandparents bought it in 1955, her grandfather built an addition for their children. Her father grew up in it, and now she and her brother are. There are secret rooms and boxes in the garage bursting with clothing from the 1920s, or with magazines with Jacqueline Kennedy on the cover. She films with the movie camera her father used when he was 16 years old, on the same street. She yearns for a single day in 1965. Oh, the cars! Another reason for her interest in history is smartphones. She has developed quite a hatred for them, and doesn’t think she will ever own one. She wishes people would be in the moment and not focus on trivial things on their devices (which was more common back when they didn’t exist).

 

Astrid is a Junior in high school, and thinking about college. She wants to study animal behavior, specifically ornithology (she feels very close to her 7 beloved hens). She studies the ravens on her campus, and engages in conversations with them occasionally. 

She runs on the Track team and varsity in Cross Country. She enjoys being outside and exercising after school. Astrid is attempting to convince her high school principals to let her build a darkroom on campus so that she doesn’t have to use her father’s for developing. She is in the Oakland Youth Chorus, and has always loved to sing. She hopes to join a small acapella group when she goes to college.