Visiting Innovator Jennifer Pharr Davis

Steward’s fall Visiting Innovator, Jennifer Pharr Davis, didn’t have a strong relationship with nature when she was growing up. “Nature was outside … something I observed from the windows of my house or school,” she recalled when she spoke to Spartans of all ages on October 7. Her appreciation for nature took root when, as a college student, she hiked for the first time. 

That transformative experience inspired Ms. Pharr Davis to continue, one step after the other, on a path to connecting with nature — and to herself. She has since hiked the Appalachian Trail three times, and in 2011 became the first woman to hold the overall record by completing the 2,190-mile path in 46 days (an astonishing 47 miles a day on average). Throughout her hiking career, she covered more than 14,000 miles of trails across six of the seven continents (“Antarctica is just too cold for me!”), started her own business, and authored 10 books. 

Ms. Pharr Davis’ visit to Steward blended perfectly with the school’s 2025-26 theme of nature. Throughout the school year, Spartans in all divisions are exploring this theme through a wide variety of activities inside and outside the classroom. 

“Who likes to spend time in nature?” she asked when she began her day at Steward by chatting with Lower Schoolers in the Bryan Innovation Lab. Dozens of hands popped up, and Ms. Pharr Davis smiled and said, “I wish I’d spent more time outside when I was your age! The Appalachian Trail is only about an hour and a half from here,” she added encouragingly, noting that the youngest person to ever hike the AP was five years old. (“She was with her parents!” she added.) Then, reaching into a large canvas backpack, she pulled out pieces of her gear for a hiker’s edition of show-and-tell.

“This is my bed!” she exclaimed, holding up a small, thin green mat. “Does it look comfortable?” A collective “no!” erupted, and Ms. Pharr Davis said, “You’re right. It’s really not comfortable … until you hike all day and you’re so tired at bedtime.” She went on to show students her other trail equipment: an umbrella for sun protection, hiking poles (which are also used to hold up a tent), a large water bottle, a map and compass for times when GPS on her phone is not available, warm clothes, a “bear bag” rope to suspend food from a tree, a neon-orange rain jacket, a first aid kit, cooking utensils, and a sleeping bag. “Know what this sleeping bag is filled with that makes it so warm? It’s from nature,” she hinted. A bold voice from the audience guessed correctly: “Goose feathers!” 

In the Lora M. Robins Theatre, Middle Schoolers and Upper Schoolers learned that Ms. Pharr Davis’ trail hikes have all been pathways to discovery. Bad weather (including temperatures so cold that one of her eyelids froze shut), dwindling food supplies, poor visibility due to snow, and self-doubt challenged but didn’t defeat her. Along the way, “I fell in love with nature. I was around living trees and animals … I felt connected.” 

Although she’s a lone hiker, Ms. Pharr Davis has enjoyed meeting new people on her sojourns. 

“When you’re hiking solo for five months, you’re grateful to talk to people,” she said. Long stretches of solitude gave her plenty of time to think about life, overcoming obstacles, and the wonder of nature. “I was a completely different person at the end of my first Appalachian Trail hike than I was when I started,” she shared. “It taught me that it’s never going to be easy; it’s supposed to be hard … [difficult circumstances force you] to adapt and change.” Being in nature, she added, made her realize “I am part of nature! That makes me feel powerful. To remember that we are also wild is life-changing.” 

Ms. Pharr Davis also met with members of the Upper School Women’s Empowerment Club, and she talked with students in Middle School English Teacher Mary Hopkins’ class about the writing process.  

At the end of the school day, Ms. Pharr Davis led Steward families on a one-mile hike at Deep Run Park. It was a fitting end to a nature-filled day. Spartans of all ages chatted with Ms. Pharr Davis, and some students even helped her demonstrate how to set up a tent! 

Bryan Innovation Lab Program Specialist Megan Young and Bryan Lab Dean Brad Kovach planned and facilitated Ms. Pharr Davis’ visit. 

“We are so grateful to Jennifer for joining us on campus,” said Ms. Young. “Our students were captivated by her stories of perseverance and triumph. She is an engaging speaker whose connection to nature inspires us all to embrace all that outdoor life offers.”