Taylor Jackson

Title: Admissions Counselor

Hometown: Sarasota, FL and Boiling Springs, NC

Alma Mater: Gardner-Webb University

Degree(s): B.A. in English and Spanish, 2006

Email: tsimpson@gardner-webb.edu

IM: tsimpsongwu

Taylor's territory:

Iredell, Forsyth, Rutherford, and Lincoln counties, NC and Virginia.

What is your favorite thing about Boiling Springs?

How friendly the people are!  When my family and I first moved here in 1999, it was a little surprising to us that total strangers would say hello on the street or honk as they drove by the yard.  Since then, I’ve gotten used to the family atmosphere of the community, and it’s one of the things that made me fall in love with Gardner-Webb.

What is your favorite verse?

“I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm  119:32 AND “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we eagerly wait for you, for your name and your renown are the desire of our hearts.”  Isaiah 26:8. 

I like these verses because they indicate why we as Christians choose to live the way we do (or at least, why we SHOULD).  It’s not out of obligation, fear or selfish motives; we’re called to live a certain way and to love others joyfully, in response to the love God has demonstrated to us, and to bring glory to Him. 

What activities were you involved in while at GWU?

I was a member of the Swim Team all four years, and I served as a Big Sister (upperclass volunteer for Orientation) and a Student Admissions Associate.  I was also involved with FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Alpha Chi (Honor Society) and Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish Honor Society).

What are your hobbies?

Working out (especially cycling), photography (freelance portraits, mostly), travelling (anywhere, but especially abroad…I got to go to the Dominican Republic, Germany and Italy during my time here at GWU!), reading (I love Don Miller, C.S. Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sandra Cisneros, and any of classics…can you tell I was an English major?), shopping (shoes are my weakness!), and spending time with friends and family.

What were your three favorite things as a student at Gardner-Webb?

1. The academic rigor…I came from a strong academic background in high school, but I was still surprised at the level to which my professors challenged me as a student—not only to learn new things, but also to know myself, my beliefs, and to be able to support and integrate those beliefs into all of my academic pursuits.
2. The high level of athletic competition…It’s so rare to find a small, Christian university with Division I athletics!  It was an honor to be able to represent GWU as a student-athlete and compete successfully against some of the best teams in the nation.
3. The Christian atmosphere… I grew so much in my faith during my time at Gardner-Webb.  God is very present on this campus, and there are so many opportunities to be involved in ministry and connect spiritually with students, professors and staff.  But, at the same time, GWU isn’t the sort of Christian school where everyone believes the exactly the same thing, and I think that diversity of belief is representative of the global body of Christ (unified not by labels, but by our Lord).