By Ava Washington
As Taylor Brandon waited to walk out in front of the judges during a band competition her senior year at Ridgeland High School, she was shaking with nerves. The school had just given her the opportunity to compete in winter guard—indoor color guard competition—and she was also a soloist. She felt like all the odds were stacked against her, and she didn’t want to disappoint anyone.
“We didn’t think we stood a chance, but my team and I ended up winning the championship and many more. That was such a core moment for me that year,” Brandon recalls. After winning that event, Brandon and her team went on to win other championships throughout the year, and she says the wins have helped boost her confidence.
The recent graduate plans to take that ambitious spirit to Mississippi College this fall to explore new things and break out of her shell. “I was always shy and reserved growing up, but as I started to open up I began to have a more ambitious attitude towards life,” she says. “Now I live by my motto: You only live once and never look back.”
During her high-school career, Brandon was involved in numerous clubs and organizations where she shared her endless ideas with others. She was in JAMC Crown Club, which provides services for the elderly and the young. Her favorite things about this club was leading chapter meetings and being able to talk to her female peers. She was also in Junior Diplomats, which she says is the “best club to be involved in within the community” because she was able to work with students from different schools.
Despite her long list of extracurriculars, Brandon says academics weren’t always easy for her. “I’m a very smart girl, but I struggled in math a lot growing up,” she said. The recent graduate was originally from Flowood, Miss., but her family moved to Ridgeland because she and her parents believed she needed a change in scenery—and in the way she was taught. This was a difficult time for her because she thought no one believed that she could get better in math, but her grandma helped get her through it.
“My biggest inspiration is my grandma. I call her every single day, and we even track the books we read together,” Brandon said. “She’s my biggest inspiration because she has helped hold my future.”
She and her grandmother enjoy talking, shopping and reading together. “My grandma introduced me to reading books when I was younger, and it’s kind of been our thing since,” Brandon says. Brandon thinks part of the reason she even finished high school is because of her grandmother.
The future MC student finished high school with a 3.9 GPA, graduating with honors. She will be attending Mississippi College in the fall on a full-ride scholarship. Although her dream school was Vanderbilt University, she felt like her calling was closer to home, and she will major in journalism with a minor in Spanish.
Outside school, Brandon enjoys reading and spending time with her best friend, Mary Marcellus, with whom she does everything. “We play tennis together, and we were in band together. We’re literally always with each other. We also like watching Formula 1 race-car driving with each other,” she says.
Brandon loves Formula 1. Her father introduced her to it, and she has been fascinated with it since then. In the future, she hopes to be a race-car commentator or even publicist.
Brandon would like to travel the world, but she would love to work abroad covering Formula 1 race-car driving. “I’ve always wanted to travel the world, but my job would probably be stationed in Europe, so I would love to live there,” she says.
Despite being shy and reserved, Taylor Brandon is a fun and loving person. Her ambition shines through her, and she always strives for greatness. “I can’t wait to grow as a person, writer and journalist,” she says.
