SUU Outdoors hosted Megan Bailey Taylor, podcast creator, SUU alumni and outdoor enthusiast for their Adventure Speaker Series on Thursday, Feb. 28th. Megan gave a speech about her experience as a long distance hiker and how that escapade transformed her life forever.
After climbing her first Colorado fourteener in 2008, Megan found a great interest and resourceful feeling in hiking and climbing mountains. She found happiness in the depth of the mountains and the values that this adventure gave her.
“The outdoor made me feel confident, it helped me to escape and define who I am,” Taylor said. “But the most important is that it guided my path; any experience I had with the outdoor guided me in my future.”
She recorded her first podcast in December 2018 and wanted to share her experience as a motivational speaker. Taylor loves people about outdoor recreation and how an escape could change everyone’s life.
Her adventure podcast, “Walked Away To” is available on Spotify.
By telling her story, Taylor gave courage and support to the students. She spoke of the importance of following dreams even if sometimes it seems hard to reach them. She highlighted the fact that going on a hike can help people to clear their mind.
“Let the outdoors be your guiding light,” Taylor advised. “It can provide you a space with peaceful setting to think about everything, give you experience to shape your career and education and inspire your future.”
There were over 20 students in attendance at the event, most of which were passionate about hiking. The audience seemed captivated by her speech and there were many questions asked at the end of the presentation.
Taylor earned her Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Recreation from SUU and a Master’s degree in experiential education from Minnesota State University and is currently working on her PHD in Parks and Recreation at the University of Utah.
On Thursday, April 4th, SUU Outdoor will welcome another adventure speaker: Laura Dahl of Zion Adventure Company.
To learn more about SUU Outdoors and their next events or speakers, visit the SUU Outdoors website.
Story By: Marine Alexandre
outdoors@suunews.net
Photo Courtesy of SUU Outdoors
