Taylor joined GUC in October 2020 as an Intern on the Information Technology (IT) Department’s Help Desk team. Ten months later, she moved to her full-time role as IT Support Specialist I. Taylor is one of five IT Help Desk members who answer the 1-911 line that GUC employees and vendors call for computer-related assistance, whether it’s hardware or software, which also applies to issues reported in-person or through the online ticket system. Taylor is also responsible for application management with our Software Center Configuration Manager, a program for getting new software to computers and ensuring systems stay updated with our Wednesday night reboots. Taylor is currently enrolled at ECU getting a Bachelor of Science in Information Computer Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity. 

Fun Fact! In her spare time, Taylor enjoys writing (and playing) her own video game scripts with friends online. 

What are your top three favorite things about your job? I enjoy learning, meeting new people, and helping others to not have a stressful day. The best reward is when I’m able to figure out an IT problem that helps others. 

What did you want to be when you were younger? A K9 Officer. 

What motivates you to work hard? Seeing people enjoy the work that I put into something for them. When I deploy new software here at GUC, there are people who appreciate that work. I have a group of friends who I write game scripts with and when I finish those, we all have fun playing it. That appreciation from others for the work I do fuels me to work harder. 

What is your proudest career accomplishment? Earning my Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification while also working full-time at GUC and attending ECU part-time showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to.  

If you could experience someone else’s job for a day, who would it be? That’s hard because there are so many neat positions at GUC! If I could take that person’s experience with me during the swap, I’d probably say a position in the Application Development team. They have a ton of neat things they do, and it supports more than just GUC alone. I also love to code. 

What is your favorite family or holiday tradition? Watching Star Wars movies on and around Christmas. 

What would you like us to know about your family? I have an older sister and an identical twin. In total, my family has five dogs, one cat, six chickens, and a bunny. It’s a zoo at my house! 

Have you ever had a nickname and what is it? Tay Tay was my nickname in high school, and here at GUC they’ve nicknamed me ‘Doodle.’  

Who is your hero? My mom and dad. Dad does IT and my mom is the real estate agent who I worked with during my first job at Bill Clark Homes. They’ve been a huge influence on building my character and my career.  

What would you do if you won the lottery? I’d help my family first and then buy myself tons of farmland and become a rancher. I’m a sucker for the country life. 

Do you have any hobbies? Besides gaming, horseback riding, and script writing, I’ve recently started learning how to play the cello.  

What’s your favorite thing to do when you are not at work? I enjoy taking my dogs to explore land in Ayden that my parents own. It’s nice to walk around with them, off the leash roaming freely. 

What was your very first job? A real estate assistant for Bill Clark Homes. 

What project(s) are you currently working on? We’re working on the Windows 11 implementation and currently in the pilot phase where only a handful of employees are using it. My responsibility in this project is to test the deployment of Windows 11 to our current and future devices to ensure everything runs smoothly before a company-wide release.  

What advice do you offer to those who are new to the utility industry? As someone brand new to the IT profession, my biggest advice is to keep learning.   

How would you describe your job to a child? If turning a computer on and off again did not fix an issue, that’s where my job comes in! We do magic to fix computers.  

If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? I’d be a shape shifter so I could be anything I wanted! 

What's your favorite family recipe? Chicken and pastry. 

What celebrity would you like to meet? Hailee Steinfeld 

If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Thanksgiving meal with Grandma’s chocolate cake.  

How would your family describe you in just a few words? Dedicated, kindhearted, resourceful, and honest.  

What do you want to accomplish this year either personally or in your career? My career goal is to learn more about our System Center Configuration Manager and get my certification in the software. Personally, my goal is to own a German Sheppard and graduate from ECU.  

What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? Cooking pot, knife, and solar powered radio.