Taylor
Taylor Ellis graduated from Richmond Community High School, armed with not only her high school degree but an associate’s degree in social science. Her next big step forward is Hampton University to major in biology on the pre-med track. “We have a lot of nurses in my family,” she says. “We don’t have a doctor yet.”
In high school, she’s done it all: Key Club, Sports Club, Future Health Professionals, FBLA, Black Student Union, Crochet Club, National Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa. One of the foundations for her focus is Taekwondo. “People think it’s just physical, but it teaches so much more: integrity, humility, discipline.”
Taylor’s calling cards are discipline, forward-thinking, and a purpose-driven outlook. She has experience flipping houses with her mom and designing clothes. Even so well-prepared for her future, winning a Pedestal Scholarship was a boost, even turning point. “I was so excited. It just reminded me how far I’ve come, and what’s still ahead.” Pedestal was Taylor’s first scholarship, so it was extra meaningful, buttressing Taylor’s belief in what opportunities, and possibilities, lie ahead.
Taylor’s ambitions to become a doctor will lead her far, literally: she wants to become a traveling anesthesiologist, working across states to reach patients where she’s needed most. In the long term, she hopes to teach during medical residencies, create initiatives to improve healthcare access, and bring her skills into rural and isolated hospitals, dental offices, wherever help is needed.
Diagnosed with alopecia as a child, she couldn’t find a book that made her feel seen, so she and her mom wrote one: Hair in My Brush. She’s shared her story at schools, pop-ups, and anti-bullying events. “Hair doesn’t make you. You are what’s inside of you.”
Taylor’s dedication and discipline don’t mean she doesn’t live joyfully. One of her loves is fashion, an interest sparked by mall trips with her dad, further inspired by her “fly grandma.” Taylor hopes to create her own clothing brand, launch other businesses, explore the world, and one day raise a family.
That’s a lot for Taylor, or any one person, to pull off. She understands that the key to unlocking it all is education. That’s why The Pedestal Fund is proud to invest in Taylor Ellis’s dreams. She’ll go far, because that’s where drive takes you.