As her 14 years at Darlington come to a close, senior Emily Taylor reflects on the variety of activities that have connected her to the Darlington community.

“I’ve done volleyball, soccer and the winter musicals throughout high school,” Taylor said. “Soccer has probably been my favorite because I loved the sport and the people on the team.”

Getting involved allowed Taylor to learn important life lessons from faculty members.

“Mr. Shorey really influenced me positively because he was my teacher as well as my soccer coach, so he pushed me all throughout high school both academically and through sports. He has a really strong sense of what it takes to be a good athlete and student, and I’m going to carry those with me throughout life because of him.”

Some of her favorite memories come from being a day leader in Regester.

“I started as a day leader my sophomore year alongside one of my best friends, Hillary [Tunnell], and we’ve been roommates every year since. It’s been a really great learning experience personally and in my leadership skills, plus I love getting to know the dorm girls.”

Taylor has spent most of her life at Darlington along with many of her classmates.

“I’ll definitely miss the people the most. For 14 years, I’ve gone to school with the same people and grown really close to them all, as well as those who joined our grade. Not having the familiarity of Darlington is going to be really weird next year.”

Even though moving on is going to be a challenge, she is excited about her plans for next year.

“Next year I’ll be attending the University of Georgia. I’m really excited to be in Athens and get to be somewhere other than Darlington after 14 years.”

As she looks back on her time in high school, Taylor has some advice for the underclassmen.

“I’d say figure out a balance between working hard and having fun & enjoying yourself. This year for me has been all about learning to maximize my time with friends while also doing well in school and focusing on college.”