Angeline J. Taylor

My faith and my family. Period. I'm the youngest. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. My oldest brother passed a few years ago. My parents, after my sister was born, they were told they couldn't have any more children. And my mother and father were asked by their neighbor and best friend, if anything ever happened to her, would they take her sons and raise them? And my dad said yeah, and literally she died that same year. So they decided, okay, we have two sons now, one who's going to college and one who's young with my sister. And that same year, the woman who wasn't supposed to be able to have any more children was pregnant with me. So when I tell you my family and my faith, they're special people.

Before my first internship at a newspaper, I remember my dad, who was not only a human resources person but led one of Florida's leading state agencies at one point, said to know who you are and whose you are. My siblings and I can recite that. Know who you are and whose you are. That means that when you walk in any room, your head is held high because you know where you come from, who brought you there, and that you've taken steps to ensure that you have made the right decisions for your life. I've been fortunate to be surrounded by some great people. I've taught at 3 major universities now, and I love to listen to people, which is great, especially being a journalist. It's kind of interesting how things come along, especially from students. They're like sponges. So every now and again, a student will say something, and it's like, whoa, where did that come from? I had a former student who's now a TV producer who told me the other day, man, the way you talk about your dad, I just want to let you know, I bet he's so proud of you.

I'm gonna give the advice my dad gave me, and then I'm gonna give the advice that I've learned. Know who you are and whose you are. Know what you stand for. For those who aspire to be scholars and educators, help yourself to know that there's a reason that goes beyond yourself and knowing why you're there. Why you're doing what you're doing? It's important, it's relevant. Education is always important on all levels. But it's key that when you walk in the room, you know who you are and whose you are, what you stand for. And trust me, those standards, students can see it. You don't even have to open your mouth. It's amazing what they pick up on. They don't even have to know anything about you, and they will be spot on. So that's why it's so important.

In journalism, when you look back around the year 2000, everyone said that journalism would be dead, forgetting the fact that journalism was a key component in founding this country as we approach the 250th anniversary of this country. And they were saying that back before 2000 because of the internet. Today, they're saying the same thing because of AI. And even though a lot happened because of the internet, and a lot of newspapers and magazines and a lot of print product honestly died due to the internet, I think journalism and storytelling will never die. I think we have to, in my industry and in the education of my industry, make sure that we're training individuals to know the value of the story, the value of educating individuals of what is going on in society. And the fact that once upon a time, people read to be more educated, and now they're not as immersed in that, and it's so important to develop your mind, to be able to be open to newness and differences. And that's something that I'm very dedicated to, helping students see how they can find joy in learning more, not just about themselves and about the world, but about the opportunities that could be open to them as writers, but also just in any field that they decide to go into.

Faith, family, joy, integrity, character, loyalty and love. Probably not in that order, but those were the key values. And of course, scholarship.