Elizabeth Smart to headline The W’s 2026 Welty Gala
Survivor, advocate and New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Smart will inspire audiences as the featured speaker at Mississippi University for Women’s 2026 Welty Gala at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at the Trotter Convention Center in downtown Columbus.
“Each year, the Welty Gala celebrates stories of growth, hope and inspiration. This year is no exception as we are privileged to welcome author Elizabeth Smart to Columbus,” said Dr. Scott Tollison, interim university president. “Her remarkable journey reminds us that perseverance and the power of hope can help us overcome even the most difficult challenges.”
Smart’s most recent literary work, “Detours: Hope and Growth After Life’s Hardest Turns,” is a memoir-meets-guide empowering readers to navigate life’s detours, embrace resilience and find healing and purpose after adversity. Released December 2025, the book explores how trauma can derail one’s path in life and shares her struggles with captivity, reintegration and resilience, offering four key “Rest Stops” for navigating difficult turns.
At the age 14, Smart was abducted. Fortunately, the police safely reunited her with family on March 12, 2003, after being held prisoner for nine months. Through this traumatic experience, she has become an advocate for change related to child abduction, sexual abuse, human trafficking, recovery programs and national legislation.
The founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Smart has helped promote the National AMBER Alert, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act and other safety legislation to help prevent abductions. She has chronicled her experiences in the New York Times bestselling book, “My Story.” In addition, she and other abduction survivors worked with the Department of Justice to create a survivor’s guide, entitled, “You’re Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment.”
In 2018, Smart wrote a powerful and inspiring book, “Where There’s Hope,” which is both an up-close-and-personal glimpse into her healing process and a heartfelt how-to guide for readers to make peace with the past and embrace the future. Her advocacy reached a massive global audience in January 2026 with the release of the top-10 Netflix documentary, “Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.” In the film, she offers an unsparing and frank look at her ordeal, providing new context and never-before-seen material to empower other survivors to shed the weight of shame.
“Each year, the Welty Gala allows our community to make a lasting investment in student success. Scholarships remove financial barriers and open doors to opportunity. We are excited to welcome Elizabeth Smart and know her powerful story will make this year’s Gala an unforgettable evening while helping raise critical scholarship support for our students,” said Elise Wilson, executive director of Development and Alumni.
Gala sponsorships are available at various levels and offer attendees the opportunity to enjoy a private reception with the guest speaker, along with premium dinner seating. A book signing and question-and-answer session will follow the program.
Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event. More information on the Gala and sponsorships at muw.edu/welty/gala.
To support or attend the Welty Gala, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni at (662) 329-7148.