She could not have known it at the time, but ever since she was a child Abigail Taylor has been preparing for success.
It began with her parents, Jen and Ben Taylor, who conscientiously worked to see their home fosters education, faith and love.
With that solid foundation, Taylor was equipped to soar.
“All my mom asked is that I do my best,” she said.
For Taylor, doing her best has resulted in a perfect grade point average all through high school. She is one of eight valedictorians.
Taylor admits to having an “achievement-driven personality.”
“Which can be something good — or not.”
The obvious, of course, is a 4-point GPA and a high enough score (34) on the ACT exam to qualify her for full tuition paid to attend Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
The flip side of holding yourself to such high expectations is that it’s unrealistic — and exhausting — to expect perfection.
“I’ve learned that I will make mistakes, and that’s OK. Nobody’s perfect,” she said.
Overcoming a fear of failure came in starts and stops for the young girl.
“In middle school, I didn’t talk very much at all,” she said, taking refuge in her books and studies.
But when she entered high school, Taylor dug deep to push through those fears to not exactly transform — she’s still on the quiet sde — but to branch out and become more involved with her peers and school activities.
She credits several things and people for helping her become more self-possessed, including the school’s Forensics program.
For her junior and senior years this self-professed “mouse” competed in public speaking events, specializing in impromptu speaking, poetry and original oration.
“Forensics helped bring me out of my shell,” she said.
