Chandler Smith, Campus Carrier staff writer
Jen Vincent, Campus Carrier staff writer
On October 2, arctic explorer Ann Daniels spoke with Berry about her travels through the ice and the lessons she learned. The stories of travel to the North and South poles contained elements of community, teamwork, persistence, and the lifelong journey of learning.
“I thought it was really amazing,” freshman Katie Scaramuzzo said. “This is actually one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard in person.”
Daniels started her speech in the 1990’s as a mother of three with no prior exploratory experience. Her journey began when she took a chance with an ad in the newspaper offering an opening to join an all women’s arctic exploration team. With hard work, dedication and help from the community Daniels was able to make the team.
“I really like the idea that it just takes one step to start something,” Scaramuzzo said. “That will just set things off for you and open the door of possibilities.”
Daniels’ leap of faith changed the course of her life completely. From her humble beginnings, she reached heights previously unimagined. She left her family and all of the things keeping her down behind, and worked towards her goals with persistence.
“Everybody has their reasons for doing things. But truly and honestly, I was drowning. I had three babies, I had no income, I had no job but it was my feeling of darkness,” Daniels said, “and I thought I had to do something. So when I saw the ad for it I felt that this was it.”
Daniels related her exploratory experience to Berry students navigating college life. Attracted to Berry College’s unique ethics, Daniels discusses the importance of service, work-ethic and resilience. She related her struggles on the ice to the struggles of a college student, sharing that overcoming obstacles and achieving goals are a lifetime adventure.
All freshmen were required to attend the lecture, because of the assigned summer reading of The Moth: All These Wonders, which Daniels was featured in.
“It is a way to connect the lessons from the first-year read to a real-life, practical application of the concept,” Student Director of the Office of Academic Transitions Madilyn Rowe said.
The recurring messages in Daniels speech tie to Berry’s core values embedded in students. The famous motto of the head, heart and hands is deeply integrated in her speech. The head being persistence through difficult times, the heart being the importance of team-work and trust, and the hands being lessons of hard work.
Daniels’ goal is inspiring Berry students into taking their first steps. At the end of the speech, Daniels expressed that if students take one thing away from the lecture it’s that you only have one life and to live it to the fullest. Her message resonated with students like Scaramuzzo.
“Sometimes anxiety gets the best of me and I just stay back,” said Scaramuzzo. “I need to take a leap, and if I take that leap, who knows where it will lead me to.”