She is not the only one, there is a national movement by girls and women to be the first to safely travel to the red planet, explore its mysteries and return home safely.
The difference is Taylor is a resident of Jacksonville, Florida just several hours way from the home of space travel central, Kennedy Space Center located in central Florida.
In just the 7th grade, a student at The Bolles School, her academics are preparing her for the rigors and challenges of higher education, building a foundation in the areas of STEM and STEAM where future careers are linked to. Taylor is sometimes referred to as an Agent of STEAM,
Taylor is sometimes referred to as an Agent of STEAM, Part of the Mars Generation, and AstroStarBright on Twitter seen with her mother. In order for these dreams to turn to realities requires a lot of community work, networking, community support, and a love for STEAM and STEM.
Taylor and her mother have been working to achieve this dream since Taylor as a young child started dreaming of space flight. They have been blessed to be noticed by the White House on several opportunities and have been invited to events like the “2016 United State of Women: The Movement” and the recent “Hidden Figures” celebration attended by politicians, actors, community activists, astronauts, scientists, and educators. both in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the White House with presentations from First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama.
The struggle is real for the single mother that has strategically guided and managed Taylor’s journey, but the rewards are awesome for Taylor to achieve her goals that allow her to be a mentor to younger girls that are learning about STEM and those interested in expanding their knowledge through reading.
Taylor, a shy and soft-spoken young lady puts aside herself and speaks to youth teens and young adults about careers that are not out of their reach.
Girls of color and culture are valuable and carry within them a magic that they can harness to achieve anything they want to.
There is no glass ceiling just the stars to reach for. Taylor inspires boys, not just girls by letting them known that kids of color can be astronauts, scientists, engineers and that other careers are open to them not just sports and entertainment.
This is seen when Taylor and her mom are invited to events from the Governor in 2016 when receiving honors for volunteering in the community, promoting literacy and being a member of the Girl Scouts and participating in Journey Into Womanhood an initiative to provide mentorship to inner city girls and women in Jacksonville, Florida.
Taylor and her mom were sent invitations to attend the event highlighting the 2017 movie Hidden Figures recognizing the history of space exploration and how African American women were pivotal in the success of space travel because of their mathematics knowledge.
This historic event featured the stories of African-American women who have made significant contributions to human space flight, space science, and innovation, but who have not often had their stories told. There are thousands of African American, Latino and
many others of culture that have not received their just recognition that contributed to the success of the space program, NASA, and other scientific success stories.
Events like these help to elevate Taylor and inspires her to continue to work hard to achieve her goals and even lift up other girls and even boys to see they can achieve great things no matter their backgrounds and challenges.
Taylor is just one of thousands of girls and young ladies that have astronomical dreams. As her mother states, “it takes a village to raise astronauts.” This is a testimony that collectively we need to support children of color and culture to help them contribute
to the growth of our nation and provide praise and resources to make sure they grow and share their knowledge for those following behind them.
