A growing child needs support in so many ways. Here are a few of the people who supported, cared for, and nutrured me throughout my years. With them, I have accomplished so many things in my life, and I am proud of the person I have come to be.
Kelli Taylor, my mother
My mother is a very caring, supportive, and fun woman. She is the mother of 4, and grandmother of 6. She is retired, and volunteers weekly at Hospice.
My mother is a natural at helping others. She was a huge role model in my life, and was constantly modeling healthy relationships, moral values, and how to support and care for others. My mother was an extremely fun woman, who showed me how you can have fun in any situation. She attended all my sporting events throughout my school years. One way she always made me feel special was how she made sure we had dinner together each and every night. She made sure to ask us about our day at school, and communicate with us as much as possible.
As an adult, my mother continues to be a great influence in my life. She is continuing to show me how important helping others and challenging yourself can be. She currently volunteers for Hospice, and helps individuals who are in the last stages of their lives. She has so much compassion for others, and it is definitely something I strive to have.
Corey Pressler, my brother
My brother is a very intelligent, supportive, and knowledgeable person. Corey loves the outdoors, and has many hobbies which include collecting figurines and gaming.
My brother was my protector. He was 2 years older than me. As young children, Corey helped me pour my cereal into my bowl in the morning. As teenagers, he would come to my locker or stop me in the hallway just to check in on me. As college students, he helped me in class by passing on study notes. One thing that Corey always did to make me feel special was how he always allowed me to tag along with him and his friends. As adults, Corey is a huge support for me. We talk on the phone a couple times a week. He still calls to check in on me, offer advice, and be supportive.
Scott Pressler, my father
My father is a very handy man. He recently retired, and volunteers with his dogs visiting local hospitals and nursing homes in Indiana.
My father was a man I respected greatly. He was often quiet, and when he spoke it was insightful and meaningful. Growing up, when I encountered situations that felt difficult or challenging, my father always showed me how to look at both sides (pros and cons), in which often helped me make a decision or get through the difficult situation. He always made me feel special because he made sure to make my brother and me his first priority. Our time with him didn’t consist of him working, or mowing the lawn. We spent time playing at the park, visiting hobby stores, or building fun crafts in his wood shop.
As an adult, my father always finds time spend with family. He is very crafty, and loves to show his love for others by doing woodworking tasks for them, or teach others how to perform certain skills. It’s a constant reminder of using passion for others rather than yourself.
Mrs. Bassett was my second grade teacher. She was a very caring and nurturing teacher.
When I entered second grade, my parents had just gone through a divorce. Mrs. Bassett took me aside on the very first day of school and told me that if I ever needed to talk to anyone she would listen. She was the first person who ran to support me when I broke down in music class crying over my parents’ divorce. She knew about the caring person I was, and chose me to be the helper for when new students started in our classroom. At the end of the school year, she had each and every student over for a cookout at her house. All of those things meant so much to me, and showed me how much she cared about me as an individual.
I have not seen Mrs. Bassett for over 20 years, but she still lives in the same town as my father. Each time she runs in to my father in town, she makes sure to stop and ask him how I am doing. She still cares!
Wayne Randle, my grandfather
My grandpa is a fun, exciting, and caring person. He worked many different jobs from teaching at a technical school to business and sales for a large company. He is now retired, but substitute teaches at a high school in Arizona.
My grandpa is a very tender hearted man. His family means everything to him. When growing up, my grandparents often lived far away. Even though they were far away in mileage, they managed to stay very involved. We had weekly phone calls from them, visits on the holidays, and even special trips where we met halfway. One of the best things my grandpa did to make me feel special was when he flew all the way from Arizona, when I was a senior, just to watch me cheer at a football game.
As an adult, I still have frequent calls from my grandfather. He continues to model how to be a great parent, grandparent, and great-grandparent, by always putting his family first.
