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Taylor Rich '20 G'22
Within each of our students is an inspirational story of perseverance and strength, and we are honored to share them with our Bay Path community. This narrative originally appeared as part of Bay Path's #MyPath on social media.
“I know it may sound corny, but my goal in life is to leave this world a little better than how I found it. That’s been part of me since I was a child. I’m just always trying to make connections with people wherever I go to make the world a little happier.
“A huge influence on my life was my grandfather. He would have given you the shirt off his back. It didn’t matter what kind of job you had, what kind of car you drove, who you were, or who you weren’t. He just treated everyone with such dignity and respect. I’m so proud I had someone like that to influence me as I was growing up.
“I always knew I wanted to help people, but the traditional college route just didn’t work for me. I actually went to a few different schools and did get my associate degree. But I had taken a couple years off before I found Bay Path and The American Women’s College. I saw that it was all online, and it was almost as if everything changed for me. It just opened so many doors.
“I was working full-time for a behavioral health and substance use service, so being able to do that while going to school was another selling point. Day to day, I could still care for my clients. The experience I was having in the field helped my education, and my education enhanced what I did at work. It just worked out perfectly.
“Being involved in an all-women’s school, the conversations were more honest, more comfortable. I’ve experienced a lot of women’s empowerment. The support at Bay Path has let me thrive. I never saw myself having a master’s degree yet I’m already on my way. I’m even wondering if I want to go get my PhD. I wouldn’t have been in this situation had I not done my undergrad here.
“One thing I want to do next is own a nonprofit focusing on suicide prevention. I lost a friend to suicide five years ago. People don’t want to talk about it, but if we don’t, it’s only going to get worse. I’ve learned at Bay Path that whatever I do in my life, whether big or small, it makes a difference. You might not see the results immediately. But just helping people in your community does really make a difference.” - Taylor Rich '20 G'22 #MyPath