To: My ENHS Senior Babies

Seniors 2011:


It's weird to say that now, huh? Getting used to your grade is kind of like getting used to your age after a birthday. Sometimes "senior" just doesn't sound right. When did you suddenly wake up and realize that you are almost finished with high school? That every event is now "the last"? Coming from a senior 2010 that had her fair share of teary moments, the best piece of advice I can give you is to enjoy absolutely every second of your journey. 


Wake Up and Dress Up:


I don't care what day of the week it is, or what the theme is; StuCo works hard to put spirit weeks together and when you're looking back on your senior year, you are going to be so happy that you are the one tagged in 20 more pictures instead of being the one behind the camera. Trust me, you are never to cool to dress up. It's going to happen all the time at college date parties and THOSE go all out...let me tell ya. Plus, who doesn't want to dress like an idiot, attract attention, and get one more picture in the yearbook?


Don't Skip Out On Assemblies:


Assemblies are the essence to spirit weeks, and although sometimes they may seem pointless and maybe sometimes boring, they are important to those participating in them. And, being a senior you get recognized at every assembly, you get to sit on the floor, and, if you're willing, you get to participate in all the nasty and crazy StuCo dares. I mean come on, you've earned a place in these assemblies!


Visit Your Old Elementary and Middle School Teachers:


Not hungry at lunch? Teacher doesn't think class is necessary next Tuesday? Alumni day at your old school? Take these opportunities to visit those who shaped you. They are the reason you stand where you are today. And trust me, they love when you come back, and their new baby students love to ask you all types of questions; do you have a boyfriend? Are you dating a football player? You can drive? You're THAT old? O ya, anything and everything about your life, they want to know. These teachers care about you and want to know your plans for the future. Plus, this is the chance to give your old teachers one of your 200 senior wallets. 


Go to All the Football and Basketball Games:


Do this, NO MATTER how bad your team is. You're going to look back at those friday night lights as some of the greatest nights of your life. You are also going to get to college and realize college football, as wonderful as it is, is just not the same as high school football; those aren't your true classmates, you don't share hallways with them, or take pictures with them being proud of your school colors, they aren't the people you hang out with every single weekend. And, believe it or not, student sections make a HUGE difference on the outcome of games. Hearing 1,000 of your best friends screaming for you to do your best? How would that not help you to win? And sometimes, even the games canceled because of the rain seem to be the ones best remembered.


Take Advantage of Having Your Parents At-Hand:


This is the last time in your life that mommy and daddy are going to be there for you everyday. And as much as you think you won't, you're going to miss them like crazy. And suddenly, coming back to Edmond on a Saturday night isn't such a burden. Obviously your parents want you to go off to college and earn a degree and become a big successful person, but make sure you tell them thank you for all that they do...every single day. Most of us view college as necessary, as a must, as always being seen in our future. But the reality is, you will earn your way here and being in college is a privilege. And a huge fraction of your parent's paycheck and savings will be going towards your classes, books, and partying. And of course, make sure you tell them you love them every chance you get.


Don't Ever Say That You "Can't Wait for High School to be Over":


This year...will FLY by, faster than you can ever expect it to. One minute your making plans for what to do after the first football game and the next you are sitting at graduation practice, surrounded by your best friends, realizing that you are all going your separate ways. Being away from your family is suddenly something you don't want and you're jealous of all the "new" senior's pictures of dress up days and Friday night football games..and you miss it, more than anything. Enjoy the moments you are given because some people would kill to be in your shoes and attend our high school. Enjoy those long practices, and those countless math assignments, and those finals exemptions, and the opportunities to skip class without penalty, and the teachers that go easy on exams and papers, and the shortened classes because of assemblies, and the complete blow off week known as BALTO, and those nights that your parents make you stay home to spend extra time with them. "You don't know what you've got till it's gone.."






Maybe I'm just overly obsessed with Edmond North High School and that was too in depth, but it just goes to show how much I miss being there. I miss cheering at games, missing class to plan assemblies, decorating until 3 o'clock in the morning for a school who doesn't even notice, the bus rides to away games, and the wonderful students I shared all my experiences with. So, if you don't appreciate it for you, appreciate it for those who can't be there..whether it's because they are a major high hero or because they are forced to move every month and don't have an established "school" or because they earned their wings a little too early or one of hundreds of reasons. Just live up every moment.

Dance

Like no one is watching

Love

Like you've never been hurt

Sing 

Like no one can hear you

Live

As if it's heaven on Earth.

Priorities

Sometimes I feel as if my life is just one giant list of priorities; my to do list, my homework, my exam schedule, hanging out with my friends, seeing my family, etc., etc...and I am not the best at logical prioritizing of priorities. I somehow always seem to get everything done, it's just not always in the order they should be done in.

Before coming to OU I had few priorities: move in, keep my room clean, rush, join a sorority, meet cute boys, keep a "good" GPA, get actively involved, and find my place in college. Some of these things obviously are more important than others. Coming to college, I put going through formal recruitment and pledging a house as my top priority. I have grown up surrounded by the greek system in my family so I knew that getting into a house would reap the most benefits for me and my personality, and I was definitely correct!

Now that I have moved to Norman, adjusted to my class schedule, gotten used to the grueling hours of U-Sing, learned that sleep doesn't come as easy as it did in high school, learned that mommy isn't here to do things for me anymore, and met plenty of those cute boys talked about early, it isn't so much that my priorities have changed, per say, I have just learned to put them in their correct order. My education and my GPA will always come first now. My parents have told me time and time again that college isn't free and that this will determine the rest of my life, and now I can see that much more clearly. Doing my homework fits into the hours between class and U-Sing practice, studying for quizzes and tests comes before going out with friends, and blogging for leadership is something I must remember to do every week. :)

On an ending note, thank goodness I have my planner, the best planner of all time titled myAgenda, because without it, I don't think I have a shot of making it through one week at OU.

"The key is to not prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities" - Stephen R. Covey

Influence

Influence: (noun) the capacity or power of persons or things to be acompelling force on or produce effects on the actions,behavior, opinions, etc., of others.


Influence is a powerful thing. Most of us are influenced without even realizing it; how we act, what we wear, how we talk. Influence may also be positive or negative.


I don't view myself to be influenced by anyone, mentally that is. I'm very strong willed and usually go with my core instinct. My leadership style however is influenced by my old cheer coach because she was such a positive and powerful person. She was so kind hearted and could persuade anyone to participate in what she wanted accomplished. She was a hard worker and never put herself above others. I also think that living in Edmond my entire life has influenced me. Edmond is sort of it's own bubble; most of the people that live there have lived there the entirety of their lives and know no difference. There's the sooners and the cowboys: the huskies, the bulldogs, and the wolves: those that live in Oak Tree and those that don't: kids who play sports and those that don't. I think this has influenced a lot of what i expect from myself, and that is to be the best I can be and become a successful person in life. Coming to OU, I am now influenced by a whole new spectrum of people. I now have an entire house of sorority sisters to look up to and ask for guidance as i start college and begin a whole new chapter of my life. 


I think this topic is hard to elaborate on, because yes, I wear cute headbands, and nike shorts, and uggs, and carry a side purse, and wear a sundress and boots on game-day, and I will admit that other's view of fashion and style has influenced my way of how I dress and what I wear. But mentally, influence is hard for me to put my finger on and elaborate. Influence has been portrayed mostly negatively my entire life (i.e. influence for drinking or drugs), so it's hard for me to say that I have been influenced by others. 

Life.

My name is Taylor Kathryn Grant. I was born September 4th 19 years ago to two loving parents. 

This is how everyone's story starts, right? Not that mine didn't start just as that sentence states, but my life has been much more detailed and much more defined than by a cookie cutter sentence. One major aspect of my life that describes my family oh so well is where my name "Taylor" came from. During the time of my conception, Tommy Tubbs, the head basketball coach of the University of Oklahoma, was blessed with a daughter named Taylor Tubbs. My parents being die-hard OU fans, decided that the name "Taylor" would fit me perfectly. So on September 4th, 1991, all 9 pounds and 9 ounces of me was sooner born as well as sooner bred. First Christian Church Childcare Center became a huge part of my life once I was old enough to attend. That's where i met my best friends that have been there by my side since I a wee tot of only 3 years old. My brother, Michael Eric, Jr., came along when I was 6 years old. And two short years later, my parents were divorced. This is a very significant land mark in my life; my parents split, I now had "two" homes, my mom was always upset, and I hated driving to Oklahoma City from Edmond to see my dad. Years passed and my mom became a strong, independent, kick-ass woman and my dad remarried the evil step mom that shows up in every divorce story; enough said on that topic. By this time, I'm in my ugly, awkward middle school stage. I changed friends, changed sports, changed style, changed hair color, so I guess I could conclude that my sixth, seventh and eight grade years at Cheyenne Middle School I was a constantly changing person. And then high school hit. These years were my glory years. I tried out for the freshmen cheerleading squad in May of my 8th grade year. Much to my surprise, I made it (they must have wanted me for my booming man voice because they sure as hell did not want me for the tumbling aspect). Being an Edmond North Cheerleader is one of the most rewarding and significant aspects of my life. It taught me the true meaning of friendship, of strength, of being a team member, of loss, of commitment, and of love. Never in my life had I been so dedicated to a cause. Until February of my freshman year came along. I was asked, at the last minute, to be a participant and raise money for our school's annual fundraiser BALTO (Bring A Light To Others). I was amazed by all the hard work and dedication sacrificed for these children that need our help and our donations. I fell in love with the cause which led to the next three years of my life being dedicated to ENHS Cheer and BALTO. During the summer after my sophomore year, I was chosen to be an exchange student in Eichstatt, Germany and was hosted by Steffi Appel. This experience caused me to fall in love with the country of Germany and the culture; which drives me to want to study abroad during my time here at OU. By the time senior year rolled around it was hard for me to imagine anything BUT BALTO and Cheer defining me. But I also made time to host an exchange student from Germany that I can now call one of my best friends, Biggy Bohm. She lived with me for over a month and got to experience what it was like to live like me. In September of 2009, our cheer squad placed second at the OSSAA state cheerleading tournament.....by a half a point. I am woman enough to say that there are still times that I cry over the championship that should have been ours. THIS is what a true champion looks like. (PS- watching this video still makes me cry even though I am a college student and it's almost been a year later) After the pain of state cheer was at least dulled, I had to move on to something bigger than myself; being the 2010 BALTO chair. As if cheer didn't take up enough of my life, whenever I wasn't cheering or eating, my life was given to BALTO and our cause, being Victory Junction Gang Camp (this camp is designed for mentally or physically handicapped children with ailments that prevent them from attending another summer camp. Want to see how awesome this place is? Click here.) After countless hours, a case of strep throat, almost getting suspended for doing ANYTHING for the kids, blowing up over 300 balloons, the permanent smell of money stained onto my hands, and planning over 25 fundraising events..it all payed off. 

With the help of over 100 BALTO candidates and 30 StuCo members, our high school was able to raise (when it was all said and done) over $233,000 for VJGC. How many people can say that?

AND, as if the satisfaction of knowing these Oklahoma children were going to experience something they otherwise never would have gotten to with out us wasn't enough, Victory junction allowed me and my co-chair, and best friend, to come to the camp and see this miracle in action.

In June, Allie and I were sent to VJGC in North Carolina,  and there are not even words to describe the pure joy, happiness, magic, and fulfillment this place brings to these children and their families. 

These are only a few of the wonderful memories I took with me from this amazing establishment.

Then as summer passed I prepared for my college journey at OU. I participated in formal recruitment and could not be happier to call myself a Chi Omega. Now I am studying to be an I don't know what in the I have no idea field. I'm taking each day as it comes, enjoying the little things, and leaving the rest to God.

the rest is still unwritten..