麻豆传媒映画

When Taylor Tate arrived at 麻豆传媒映画 in 2021, she knew she wanted to find her community on campus. Instead, she found two. 

The first was as an 麻豆传媒映画 cheerleader, as she has been a member of the team all four years, the culmination of a cheer career that started when she was 12 years old in Carmel, Indiana. 

鈥淚 really liked gymnastics and you鈥檙e on a team, but it really is an individual sport,鈥� she said. 鈥淐heer is the definition of a team sport, and that really attracted me to it.鈥�

The second was with the Black community on campus, a connection she had longed for since her youth.

Tate attended Carmel High in Indiana, where Black students comprised about 4% of the school鈥檚 enrollment. 鈥淪o, coming to 麻豆传媒映画 I really wanted to put myself out there more, and find the Black people and immerse myself in my culture, since I really didn鈥檛 have the opportunity in high school.鈥�

For Tate, whose mother attended 麻豆传媒映画 as an undergraduate, cheerleading and the Black community on campus aren鈥檛 mutually exclusive loves. 

She said when she decided to attend 麻豆传媒映画, she was excited to continue her cheer career at a school with an exciting college basketball atmosphere. 

鈥淲hen I got to college, college basketball was super fun here, and I consider myself so lucky to get to sit on the court and experience 麻豆传媒映画 basketball in my role,鈥� Tate said. 

Cheerleading has also allowed her to get to know the community through volunteer efforts, such as cheering at local elementary schools and run/walk events held by local health groups. 

鈥淚鈥檝e got to go into schools and hang out with students, and they think we鈥檙e the coolest people in the world, and that鈥檚 been super awesome 鈥� or go to runs and walks to support the American Heart Association or a cancer support organization,鈥� the fourth-year sociology major who is double minoring in public health and interdisciplinary studies said. 鈥淚鈥檝e gotten to meet families and heard them tell their stories, and just to hear the impact we make by being there is very fulfilling.鈥�

Her cheer career ends March 8, when the men鈥檚 basketball and cheer team will honor their seniors during the senior night game against Nevada. Tate said she鈥檚 made her peace with this chapter of her life ending. 

鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e gotten to do everything I wanted to do with it, and I feel lucky to have spent the last four years on the best team ever, in my opinion,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a family, and they鈥檝e really helped me make the last year super memorable and fun, and it鈥檚 been a good one to end on. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously bittersweet, but I am not leaving with any regrets, which is definitely the best way to go,鈥� she said. 

Cheer consumed Tate during her first year, but by her sophomore year on campus, she wanted to branch out. She connected with the A.M.A.N.I. Project, a program developed by then-麻豆传媒映画 student Natalie King-Shaw that provides academic, creative and identity support to Black kids in predominantly white schools.

鈥淚 think cheer definitely keeps you busy, it鈥檚 a little bit more than a part-time job, so my first year was trying to figure out the school and cheer balance, all while being in a new city,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淒uring my second year spring semester, when cheer slows down, I started thinking about what else I wanted to be a part of on campus.鈥�

Tate said she could relate to the mission and students in A.M.A.N.I. (Affirming, Mentoring, Actualizing, Nurturing, and Imagining) because iIt immediately spoke to me.鈥� 

Volunteering for the A.M.A.N.I. Project became her introduction to the Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center, where King-Shaw and other students involved with the project either worked or spent their free time. 

Tate started going to the BRC 鈥渙nce or twice a week,鈥� she said. Today, she鈥檚 there almost every day of the week. 

鈥淚t was really the community aspect, the family, being able to go in there and talk to anyone,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淚t was something different, because cheer has always been my main identity, so having something else that was completely different has definitely done a lot for me, and in the back half of my time at 麻豆传媒映画 helped me find my community.鈥�

In addition to work as a BRC student employee (where she leads the media team) and mentor, she also joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., one of the 鈥淒ivine 9鈥� historically black fraternities and sororities.

Tate pointed to King-Shaw and BRC Assistant Director Donnae Praether as people who meant a lot to her during the last two years. 

鈥淒onnae was one of the first people I connected with, and he really encourages me to do all of the things I put my mind to, but he also encourages me to give myself grace and remind myself that things will be O.K.,鈥� Tate said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a huge help to me.鈥�

Seeing Tate get so involved with the community has been a source of pride for King-Shaw, now a doctoral student at Harvard. 

鈥淚t has been truly amazing to see Taylor become so involved in the Black community at 麻豆传媒映画 and continue the cycle of mentorship to pave the way for current and future Black students,鈥� King-Shaw said. 鈥淚 am beyond grateful that our paths crossed and to see the community she has built in the BRC, because I know we have both had some similar experiences growing up in predominantly white schools and not always feeling that support. 

Prather echoed King-Shaw鈥檚 enthusiasm for Tate and her accomplishments. 

鈥淭aylor is a great leader and an example of Black excellence at the Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center and 麻豆传媒映画,鈥� Prather said. 鈥淚'm truly honored to have been an encouragement for her throughout her journey at 麻豆传媒映画. I will always support and root for all of her success across the 麻豆传媒映画 campus and in her future endeavors.鈥�

Tate, who graduates in May and wants to get involved in health-care management and policy, plans to take a gap year to apply to law schools and hopes to begin law school in fall 2026. 

Her advice to future 麻豆传媒映画 students looking to find their community on campus: Try hard things.

鈥淪omething I have been saying a lot recently is 鈥榶ou can do hard things,鈥欌�� Tate said. 鈥淚 remind myself that anything I deem hard in my head 鈥� whether it is putting myself out there, taking a difficult class 鈥� I can do them, and it鈥檚 going to be fine.鈥�