Dawn Meehan, a former Survivor television show contestant, spoke to ICEL in October. Dawn's presentation was enthusiastic and energetic and provided fascinating insight, especially for the Survivor TV show fans in the group.

Dawn began by sharing interesting information about the show itself and also her time on camera. She related her experiences trying out for Survivor, the process involved in actually getting to the island, and some of her adventures while filming. She told the group about the many relationships she built with other contestants and the social challenges of the game. She also discussed the challenge of keeping quiet about the show's results once she returned home and anxiously waiting for the finale to air several months later. She discussed the emotional and mental challenges that come with competing on Survivor, but also the great benefits the experience provided and how she changed as a result of her time on the island.

Through her participation on Survivor, Dawn developed a great appreciation for the challenges in life. She stated that challenges bring growth and joy and allow us to discover the strength we have inside. Survivor forced Dawn to give 100% in every area, and she learned that the more challenges we face, the easier it is to face them head on. She noted that she felt more empowered with each challenge and her faith increased as her fear decreased. She was changed by her experiences and learned that growth comes even when we fail, as long as we always try.

When Dawn returned home, she determined that she would continue to challenge herself throughout her life. She suggested that we often choose challenges for ourselves that are really too easy and therefore only use a small portion of our potential. To spur growth, we must choose to really challenge ourselves and move out of our comfort  zones. She stated that we don't have to participate in something like Survivor to have life changing experiences, but that we can have those experiences as we move through our everyday lives. Dawn and her family have challenged themselves with things such as conquering new hiking trails and learning to run competitively. They've also challenged themselves with learning new skills both individually and as a family. Dawn also noted that we develop strong and lasting bonds with the people who are with us as we overcome challenges. We can take advantage of other's strengths and learn from others about how they overcome their fear. She stated that we can allow others to change us for the better.

Dawn's life changing Survivor experience provided exciting inspiration for those in attendance, and reminded us that we can do hard things, and that we will grow and learn as we overcome the challenges we experience in life.