“Hello Fears” Founder Michelle Poler Named 2018-19 Goodyear Fellow
Michelle Poler, whose personal journey facing 100 fears not only transformed her but also inspired people around the world to embrace the unknown and live courageously, has been named an Alison Harrison Goodyear ’29 Fellow at Foxcroft School.
The founder of the social movement, “Hello Fears,” Poler will speak at the all-girls school on Friday, September 7 at 10am in Engelhard Gymnasium. The public is invited to attend the talk, entitled “Inspiring Students to Redefine Fear and Live with Courage.” There is no admission charge, but space is limited; please call 540.687.4511 for details.
The founder of the social movement, “Hello Fears,” Poler will speak at the all-girls school on Friday, September 7 at 10am in Engelhard Gymnasium. The public is invited to attend the talk, entitled “Inspiring Students to Redefine Fear and Live with Courage.” There is no admission charge, but space is limited; please call 540.687.4511 for details.
In 2014, after moving to New York City to earn a master’s degree, Poler created the project “100 Days Without Fear,” which has been featured in media all over the world. During the project, she took on one personal fear a day, conquered it, and posted the experience online. Her challenges ranged from skydiving and holding a tarantula to doing stand-up comedy, donating blood, and quitting her job — and have earned her YouTube channel more than 4.5 million views.
Born and raised in Venezuela, Poler has been featured on CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Glamour, and the Today Show, among other media outlets. She has spoken at TEDx, Google, ESPN, Microsoft, Toyota, and is a popular speaker at colleges and schools.
Emily Johns, Foxcroft’s Assistant Head of School for Student Life, heard Poler speak at the 2017 National Coalition of Girls’ Schools Global Forum and arranged the visit. “Michelle delivers an energetic, hilarious, and inspiring talk about how she is transformed during her year of leaning into discomfort and facing her fears,” Johns says. “She also educates us about the science of fear — the neurological and physiological responses we experience —and how exposure to fears may actually help us to reduce our anxieties about them.
“This is the perfect message for Foxcroft girls. It is aligned with our mission to help girls develop the courage and confidence to share their unique voices,” she added. “I think our girls will absolutely love her.”
Poler’s lecture is the keynote address of Foxcroft School’s All-School Leadership Day, which will also feature workshops that offer students opportunities to face some common fears, from public speaking and hiking in the woods to learning to code and dealing with conflict. Students and faculty will also discuss Foxcroft’s summer “all-school read” — Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet.
The Goodyear Fellowship program, offered through the generosity of the family and friends of Alison Harrison Goodyear, Foxcroft Class of 1929, brings distinguished speakers and provocative performers to Foxcroft to deliver a keynote address and conduct small group seminars with students. Fellowship recipients during the program’s 48-year history include such remarkable voices as Maya Angelou, James Baker III, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, Sally Ride, Barbara Walters, tech entrepreneur Sheena Allen, and most recently hiker, author, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis.
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Born and raised in Venezuela, Poler has been featured on CBS, CNN, Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Glamour, and the Today Show, among other media outlets. She has spoken at TEDx, Google, ESPN, Microsoft, Toyota, and is a popular speaker at colleges and schools.
Emily Johns, Foxcroft’s Assistant Head of School for Student Life, heard Poler speak at the 2017 National Coalition of Girls’ Schools Global Forum and arranged the visit. “Michelle delivers an energetic, hilarious, and inspiring talk about how she is transformed during her year of leaning into discomfort and facing her fears,” Johns says. “She also educates us about the science of fear — the neurological and physiological responses we experience —and how exposure to fears may actually help us to reduce our anxieties about them.
“This is the perfect message for Foxcroft girls. It is aligned with our mission to help girls develop the courage and confidence to share their unique voices,” she added. “I think our girls will absolutely love her.”
Poler’s lecture is the keynote address of Foxcroft School’s All-School Leadership Day, which will also feature workshops that offer students opportunities to face some common fears, from public speaking and hiking in the woods to learning to code and dealing with conflict. Students and faculty will also discuss Foxcroft’s summer “all-school read” — Visionary Women: How Rachel Carson, Jane Jacobs, Jane Goodall, and Alice Waters Changed Our World by Andrea Barnet.
The Goodyear Fellowship program, offered through the generosity of the family and friends of Alison Harrison Goodyear, Foxcroft Class of 1929, brings distinguished speakers and provocative performers to Foxcroft to deliver a keynote address and conduct small group seminars with students. Fellowship recipients during the program’s 48-year history include such remarkable voices as Maya Angelou, James Baker III, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough, Sally Ride, Barbara Walters, tech entrepreneur Sheena Allen, and most recently hiker, author, and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.
