On Thursday, Nov. 11, Elizabethtown College began its lecture series with its first speaker Elizabeth Smart.

Smart’s abduction in 2002 is one of the most followed child kidnapping cases ever. Her experience prompted her to share her account and start the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to advocate for social change.

She began her discussion by emphasizing that all people have a story, and although these can range in severity, everyone has gone through an experience that elicited change. With this, she highlighted that no matter a victim’s past, their life will invariably have worth and value.

The conversation then shifted into Smart’s kidnapping by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. First, she described her day before the abduction, which first-year student Angelina Giglio-Tos found as one of the most interesting parts of the lecture.

“I liked listening to her story about how she was feeling and how she had a normal day before it. It was sad, but it was an interesting story,” Giglio-Tos said.

Smart detailed how she was forced out of her house at knifepoint, then led up a mountain and into a well-stocked camp that would serve as her prison. There, she was told that she was now Mitchell’s wife, which led to her sexual assault. This egregious treatment persisted for nine months until her rescue on Wednesday, March 12, 2003.

When learning this, Giglio-Tos said, “It was [inspiring] to hear that she was in that situation for nine months and that she still pushed through for her family and was able to live through it.”

With the theme of familial bonds present throughout Smart’s lecture, Giglio-Tos highlighted that she was glad that the College allowed her parents to attend, stating, “My mom and my dad went. It was nice to see them and listen together.”

Although the kidnapping wholly altered Smart’s life, she emphasized that her family served as the main motivation to keep faith and continue fighting for her life. Smart stressed that these instances do not define victims; instead, it is one’s choices and decisions that command reality. The past does not dictate the future, so one must overcome the trauma of tragedy in order to live life to the fullest.

First-year student Marlaena Ciabattoni attended the lecture and was moved by Smart’s story.

“I wanted to go because Elizabeth Smart’s story is really important to me as a woman. Even with everything she’s been through, she’s able to live, [and] that is really inspiring,” she said.

Ciabattoni explained that her favorite part of the lecture was the Q&A session, expressing, “I asked… ‘Do you think that the justice system did you justice?’ And I loved her answer. [She said,] there’s no justice system, just a legal system.”

Smart had to wait eight years after her abduction for her case to go to trial, forcing wounds to fester as the legal system failed her.

Like many women, Ciabattoni looks up to Smart and is in awe of her strength and courage in dealing with trauma. After the lecture, the first-year student had the honor of meeting her.

“I’m not going to lie, I walked in, and I couldn’t believe we were in the same room. I told [Smart] that she’s one of my biggest inspirations, and she [replied,] ‘Me, really?’” Ciabattoni said.

This highlights Smart’s authenticity throughout the lecture. Her honesty and openness are admirable, and because of this, Ciabattoni stated, “It was nice to see that you’re able to get over it and move on and have a family and live your life.”

Smart’s story continues to be an inspiration for people around the world, and her message has allowed for more child safety and sexual abuse awareness and legislation.

The College’s second lecture will take place on Thursday, Dec. 2 and feature MSNBC Political Analyst, former NPR host and author Michael Eric Dyson.