Bestselling author, survivor and advocate Elizabeth Smart is set to headline Mississippi University for Women’s 2026 Welty Gala, the university announced Tuesday.
Smart was abducted from her childhood home as a 14-year-old and held prisoner for nine months before she was reunited with her family in 2003.
Despite the traumatic experience, Smart has gone on to advocate for victims of child abduction, sexual abuse and human trafficking. She founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, which works to fight child exploitation and provide survivor support, while helping to promote the National AMBER Alert, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Safety Act and other safety legislation.
“Her remarkable journey reminds us that perseverance and the power of hope can help us overcome even the most difficult challenges,” Scott Tollison, interim president for MUW, said in a press release.
Smart has published multiple books about her experiences, including the New York Times bestseller “My Story” and a survivors’ guide created alongside other survivors and the Department of Justice titled “You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.”
Smart’s 2018 “Where There’s Hope” offers an intimate look into her own healing process while her most recent work “Detours: Hope and Growth After Life’s Hardest Turns” – released in December – explores how trauma can derail one’s path and offers keys for navigating those moments.
Elise Wilson, executive director of development and alumni, hopes those listening to Smart’s presentation will take away a lesson of resilience.
“She was able to come from a very difficult experience and have the resilience to live her life everyday and find healing,” Wilson told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “I think it’s a beautiful story and one that I hope will resonate with our community and also with our students.”
Smart’s presentation will be the main event of the black-tie optional gala, set for 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Trotter Convention Center. The gala is one of several events held during The W’s annual Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium, during which a group of Southern writers and scholars will present their work.
The symposium will be held Oct. 22-24 for free on The W campus.
The event, Wilson said, serves as an annual fundraiser for the MUW Scholarship Fund.
“Support of this event directly impacts W students and their ability to pursue higher education here at The W,” said Elise Wilson. “This past fiscal year … we were able to provide just shy of $2.5 million in scholarships to our students. By attending the Welty Gala, … they’re contributing to that cause and to those scholarships that we give out to our students.”
Gala sponsorships, which can be purchased through Oct. 15 at muw.edu/welty/gala/, range from $125 for a friend package, $500 for a patron package, $2,500 for a fellow package and $5,000 for a benefactor package with a range of additional perks.
Prior to the presentation, benefactors, fellows and patrons will be invited to a 5:30 p.m. private reception with Smart.
“If people are really interested in meeting her and hearing her story, shaking her hand, that would be the appropriate time to come,” Wilson said.
A friends reception will follow at 6 p.m. with Welty Symposium authors. Dinner kicks off at 7 in the Trotter Ballroom before Smart’s 8:15 presentation. The evening will conclude with a 9:15 book signing.
Wilson’s hope is for Smart’s story to resonate with both MUW students and local community members.
“We have the most amazing students at The W, and I think that a story of resilience is something that we all need to hear and take hold of,” she said. “So that’s what I’m most excited about and hope that people take away from hearing her speak.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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