FEATURE: JOY DAVIS

If there’s a whale, there’s a way! For Joy Davis, a senior elementary and special education major, whales have played a unique role in her life.

In the summer of 2018, Joy Davis went on three weeklong cruises working as a Youth Expedition Leader on board the Chichagof Dream in her native state of Alaska. In Sitka, she took people on tours to the Fortress of the Bear, Raptor Center, Sitka Sound Science Center and Totem Park. She described this as the most exciting summer job she’s ever experienced with its opportunity to be outdoors, see amazing sights and the time to spent teaching children about Alaskan wildlife.

“I went to amazing places that most people from Alaska never make it to,” Joy Davis said. “Working as a crew member allowed me to see all the beauty that God created in the areas we explored. I got to see glaciers calve, humpback whales breach, bears walk along the beach, seals lounge on icebergs, and so much more. I took the kids on hikes, kayaking excursions, and on dogsled rides. We also did fun activities like paint on shells and watercolor with icebergs.

Joy Davis, along with her sister Joanna Davis, and cousins Degnan and Audrey Lawrence, and Andrew and Carter Davis, is from a remote island in southeast Alaska. People from all over the world travel tot see Alaska’s natural beauty and wildlife, and yet they all happily made the decision to come to Searcy, Ark. to receive their undergraduate degrees.  

Joanna Davis, a sophomore English major, appreciated having her older sister at Harding and acknowledged the positive ways it affected aspects of both of their college experiences.

“She’s one of the most encouraging people I’ve ever known and she made my first year at Harding a great one,” Joanna Davis said. “Our relationship with Harding has been a lifelong one. We are a fourth generation Harding students. Joy and my grandparents met at Harding and our parents also met at Harding. We are about 2,500 miles away from home, but pieces of home are still with us here.”

With home being so far, there was a lot of adapting for these students in their time at Harding and years spent in Arkansas. Alaska is composed of tundra hills, rainforests, deserts, mountains and glaciers, and each of these environments teem with a diverse range of wildlife. Arkansas also offers an array of beauty being America’s natural state, but sorry, the state can’t offer whales. Which is why the opportunity Joy Davis experience is not overlooked.

“Whales are amazing creatures,” junior computer engineering major Degnan Lawrence said. “They migrate to Alaska every year, and they can be seen jumping and feeding in the waters of Southeast Alaska. Joy was able to share the wonder of these creatures with visitors and residents of Alaska alike to help foster an experience of recreation. Sharing the beauty of the outdoors and realizing fun moments is something that Joy does well, and I think that she is suited for a job that emphasizes the wonderful connection between wildlife and their environments in the waters of Alaska.”

Whale, what are you waiting for? Alaska sure seems like a beautiful place to visit!