Not too long ago, Taylor Webster was collegiate field hockey player on a National Championship team. Her undergraduate degree was in marketing, but she decided to change course and pursue a master’s in higher education at Messiah University.
“I had a great college experience as a student-athlete, and with a life-long love of learning, I knew the higher education setting was perfect for me,” said Taylor. “I knew I wanted to work with college students to help them create their own great experience.”
Taylor grew up near Messiah, so she knew that it had a good reputation for quality academics and athletics. “The faculty did a great job keeping students engaged through discussion posts and Zoom meetings,” she said. “This, paired with the summer in-person intensive course and hybrid options allowed me to develop real relationships with my peers.”
During her time at Messiah, Taylor was graduate assistant for academic advising but had a passion for college athletics, so pursued an opportunity to provide academic support to student athletes through an internship at Campbell University.
“I was constantly supported and inspired by great professors with real-life experience in the field.” She said. “The relationships I developed with my faculty made me feel more like a colleague than just a student.”
Currently, Taylor is a learning specialist and coordinator of learning support services at Appalachian State University. She coordinates learning services, such as study halls, academic meetings and grade checks, for more than 450 student-athletes. She also meets with academically at-risk student-athletes to help them build time management and organizational skills.