From six-year-old author to archaeologist: Wilmington high school student follows her passion

What do archeology and storytelling have in common? More than you might think.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — From 6-year-old author to 17-year-old archaeologist, Isybilla Gee—though she said most people just call her “Issy”—is pursuing her drive for discovery and storytelling.  

At the age of 6, she published a series of books titled “Issy Books” that she created together with her grandmother.    

Now 17, Issy is pursuing her passion for archaeology. Last month she published a new book about 10th century British history titled “Love for Legacy.” Issy said that her love for storytelling and archaeology are intertwined.

“I like telling stories, and each little piece, each little ceramic shard has a story, and it’s nice to be able to take part in telling that story, preserving that story,” she said. 

In addition to writing books, and for her school paper, The Viking Chronicle, Issy also regularly volunteers at the Public Archaeology Corps in Wilmington.

“I’ve known for a long time I wanted to do something in history, and there’s a lot of opportunities for STEM-based kids, and I wanted something that I could give back to my community and indulge in one of my passions, and this just was perfect,” she said. 

PAC Lab Director Patrick Garrow said he too became interested in archeology from a young age. 

“My interest in archeology started when I was 12 years old, and to be able to mentor kids that age and a little older means everything. It’s a rejuvenation of the field,” he said. 

Executive Director Jonn Schleier said Issy is a great example of what PAC strives to do.  

“Issy is like the perfect ideal of what we like to do with young people. We open our digs up to people of all ages from very very small to very very elderly, and we especially like to focus on young people because you never know who is going to be the next great PhD,” he said. 

As Issy now enters her senior year at Hoggard High School, come graduation, she has big plans.  

“I would be happy to go to UNC, it’s a fantastic school, it has my major too. I would love to go to Yale, I visited there with my mom and I fell in love, it’s such a wonderful campus, but that’s a far-off dream,” she said. 

Far-off, maybe, but it seems nothing is unobtainable for Issy Gee.  

To learn more about the work of the Public Archaeology Corps or to volunteer, you can visit their website.