Senior Profile: Taylor Bauman

Taylor Bauman. (Photo courtesy of Taylor Bauman).

What is your major and minor? What other academic programs were you a part of?

Biology major, psychology minor.

What are some of the jobs you held while at McDaniel?

I was a lifeguard at the YMCA for a year and a half and I worked the volleyball camp at McDaniel for two summers. I did undergraduate research at McDaniel for a summer with Dr. Staab.

What organizations were you a part of at McDaniel? What positions did you hold?

I was a member of the volleyball team and captain for three years. I am in Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Beta Beta, and Alpha Lambda Delta and I am in SAAC (Student-Athletic Advisory Committee). I was also a second year council member during my sophomore year. I was a first-year crew member for the Spring of 2017.

Did you enjoy your time at McDaniel? How?

Yes. I was able to have such a rewarding college experience at McDaniel. Not only was I able to be a part of a successful volleyball program, but I was able to push myself academically. Aside from just playing volleyball and going to class, I met some of my best friends here through the volleyball program and through classes and organizations. I will always be thankful to McDaniel for that. I also had the opportunity to learn from awesome professors who were always willing to assist me when I had questions and who always took extra time to get to know me as an individual as well.

Who do you think was/is your best mentor?

Coach Wolverton and Dr. Katie Staab. They are both awesome mentors and role models.

What is your best memory at McDaniel?

Winning the Centennial Conference in volleyball in 2015. Also beating Franklin & Marshall this past fall.

What are some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome them?

I think that first coming to college was always hard to transition from living with my family to living by myself and the periods of homesickness were always tough. Having connections with my friends and teammates and their support helped me through those times, as well as the support from my coaches and professors. I also think when I first got to McDaniel I struggled with time management because there wasn’t anyone keeping me to a set schedule. I was able to learn time management through trial and error, basically making mistakes and then learning from that how to be better with my time and plan my schedule in order to make sure I could get all my schoolwork done, play volleyball, and still have some free time.

What are your plans for after graduation?

I am attending accelerated nursing school at Moravian College.

What would you tell yourself as a first-year at McDaniel?

Make connections with other students and professors. Connect with the professors because they all care so much about the success of each of their students, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and go to their office hours for assistance. Lastly, enjoy every day because the four years go by way too fast.