Spotlight Story— Taylor James

Meet Taylor— Student, Employee, Foodie, and more!

Taylor is one of the most impressive, positive, and kind young adults we have had the honor to meet and interview. She has overcome many obstacles to reach the success that she has, but her optimistic and witty spirit helped her persevere.

Taylor loves to sing, watch movies, and especially loves to go to Florida! She is hoping to go to Panama City Beach for upcoming 19th birthday. She is skilled in technology and loves to help her family members understand how to use different devices.

Taylor is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and has been learning it since she was 2 or 3 years old. ASL allowed Taylor to communicate with others before she advanced in her verbal skills and also allowed her to communicate with her family members who are deaf.

Taylor is currently enrolled in the Empower Program, which is a recently developed program that aims to empower BCSC students 18 and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are working towards an alternative diploma/certificate of course completion to be independent and contributing members within our community in age appropriate settings before they exit public schools. Taylor attends classes at Ivy Tech through the Empower Program, including a Child Development course. They also work on other skills, including day-to-day activities that encourage independence such as navigating and riding the city bus. She also loves getting her hot chocolate on days that she has classes at Ivy Tech.

In addition to her classes, Taylor is an employee at Columbus Regional Hospital. She interviewed for the job and funny enough, one of her first questions during the interview was “How much do I make?”— showing her skills in advocating for herself and getting to the point. She works primarily in food service and organization/cleaning. Taylor also has an internship at Busy Bees Academy, a local school in Columbus that offers Pre-K education.

Taylor’s Family and Support System

Taylor has a strong village of support and a lot of people cheering her on at all times. With age, experience, and support, Taylor has exceeded expectations and is thriving in her pursuits and dreams.

Taylor was born to Terry and Teisha James and had health scares from the beginning. Her father, Terry, reminisced on their time in the children’s hospital when Taylor was born, including how difficult it was on their family but how they tried to make it as positive and fun as possible by doing things such as building forts with Taylor’s older sister, Tara. Taylor has struggled with various health issues, but the care and support of her parents and sister have allowed her to heal and thrive.

Terry and Tara with Taylor in the children’s hospital.

Teisha with Taylor in the children’s hospital.

Taylor’s Mom, Teisha:

Teisha and Taylor.

Teisha, Tara, and Taylor.

Taylor lost her mother, Teisha, to breast cancer almost 9 years ago, when she was only 8 years old. The loss of her mother is still a difficult factor in her life, but Terry and Tara actively work to keep her memory, wishes for Taylor, and love for her family very much alive. Taylor loves to be referred to with anything to do with her mother. Even during our interview, Terry pointed out characteristics of Taylor that she got from her mom, which made her visibly happy.

Terry said,“I call her ‘Little Tish’ because she’s built just like her mother, just about 4 inches shorter. Her mom was a beautiful lady and Taylor is a whole lot like her”.

Terry explained that Teisha fought endlessly to advocate for Taylor’s needs and wellbeing and instilled a strong sense of self-advocacy in her daughter. She got Taylor enrolled in First Steps here in Columbus, where Taylor was actually the first client!

As a tribute to Teisha, Terry, Taylor, and Tara got matching tattoos of the breast cancer ribbon:

Taylor and Terry:

Taylor and Terry during our interview in April, 2023.

“I wouldn’t want my Taylor any other way” - Terry James

Taylor’s dad, Terry, is undoubtedly Taylor’s biggest fan and advocate. If you ask him why he’s proud of his daughter, he can give you a 100+ reasons. Their relationship is witty, strong, and mutually supportive. Terry went on and on about how amazed he is at Taylor’s ability to adapt to any environment and fit in, how kind and loving she is to others, how advanced her emotional intelligence is, how organized and independent she is, and so much more. While everyone who knows Taylor would express how amazing she is, her father takes his adoration of Taylor to a whole new level!

When Taylor was offered the job at Columbus Regional Hospital, Terry and a group of Taylor’s family and friends went to one of their favorite pizza places, The Ordinary, to celebrate. During their meal, Terry stood up and yelled:

“Hey everybody, I need your attention! I need to tell you about the most amazing girl in the world, she’s sitting right there” (and pointed to Taylor).

He then announced that Taylor got the job she interviewed for. Everyone clapped and yelled in support of Taylor, which was well-deserved. While Taylor was a little bit embarrassed, this shows how proud he is of Taylor and the community that surrounds her with encouragement and praise.

Taylor and her dad love to try new restaurants and consider themselves to be “foodies”. They will drive over an hour away to go to their favorite restaurants and enjoy the drive together listening to their favorite music, including country music (especially Luke Bryan), the blues, and artists such as Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

They are definitely two peas in a pod, which was evident when Terry expressed:

“Whenever you see me, believe that Taylor’s not far behind”.

Terry is intentional about ensuring that Taylor continues to learn skills that allow her to be independent and successful. He knows that she is capable of a lot more than many people understand and he pushes her to learn, grow, and flourish. He, like many parents, has worried about the day in which he will no longer be there to protect Taylor. Therefore, he has worked her whole life to set her up for success and has helped raise her to be a strong, incredible young woman with a very bright future ahead of her.

Terry, Taylor, and Tara on vacation.

Taylor’s Dreams and Hopes for Future

Taylor has many goals that she actively pursues and is determined to reach. Taylor has been learning how to drive and once she gets her license, she will get to drive her mom’s car, which is already in her name. She is currently practicing to take her driving test and is confident that she will pass soon!

Taylor also has goals for her future career and is actively taking the steps needed to reach them. Her dream job is to work with children. She loves working with children at her current internship and hopes to work with children in the future as a Teacher’s Assistant to children with disabilities, which she plans to go to school for. The Child Development course she is currently taking and the experience she is gaining with children at Busy Bee’s Academy will undoubtedly equip her with knowledge and skills needed to flourish in her dream career.

Taylor also told us that she hopes to have a boyfriend in the future— but that’s a story for another day. :)

Taylor & Family’s Advice to Community/ Call to Action

When asked what our community could do to become more inclusive and enrich the lives of individuals with disabilities, Taylor listed many characteristics that she feels would lead to a better environment, including respectfulness, honesty, being loving and caring to others no matter what, and most importantly: acceptance.

Terry also offered insight on how the community can be more inclusive and mentioned that it would be great if local people would get more involved with helping others. He also mentioned that it would be beneficial for individuals with disabilities of all ages, but especially children, if there were more inclusive activities available— not only activities planned specifically for those with disabilities, but for more activities to already be inclusive without having it be a special event. And most importantly, Terry advises people to not be judgmental and to be more accepting of others, no matter what.

More Sweet Photos:

Taylor with her older sister, Tara, when they were younger.

Terry, Teisha, and Taylor.

Taylor with her older sister, Tara.

Terry, Taylor, and Tara.