Taylor Langalis in the Business Classroom store that she used to work at when she was a student. Photographed 12.16.19.
What are you doing now?
I’m in college at Eckerd in St Petersburg, Florida, studying business administration and marketing. I picked the college because I wanted to get out of Vermont and mature away from my support system. I love it there, it’s a lot like Vermont, with a real community feel. It’s very open to all races, religions, and LGBTQ people…it’s the only place in Florida that’s like that. Saint Pete is just like Burlington, but with much warmer weather.
My school has given me so many opportunities. Their goal is to have each student study abroad at least once during our college career. I’ve participated in two trips. I went to Paris my sophomore year to learn about international business. This past summer I went to Portugal for the European Innovation Academy. I learned a lot about marketing and created a business with students from all around the world. The experience gave me more stuff to put on my resume, which helped me land my internship at Marketopia – which develops marketing strategies for IT companies. Hopefully, they’ll hire me when I’m done!
I live in an apartment with one roommate. I prefer to live off-campus so I can cook for myself and save money. Getting an apartment was really scary. But fortunately, I took a personal finance class with Ms. Poquette, which really prepared me for adult life. She taught me how to do my taxes, buy a car, and write the perfect resume. Ms. Poquette is the reason I started studying business! I took every single business class that she offered. At the point I graduated, I think I had the most business credits in the school’s history. She’s definitely why I’m where I’m at today.
How did WSD prepare you for your current success?
Ms. Poquette’s classes for sure. I took her entrepreneurship class, where I developed a business plan for an indoor trampoline park – before Get Air opened! I won 2nd place in the Vermont State Business Competition. Another student in my class won 1st place. Ms. Poquette rocks. I loved preparing the logo and ads and stuff. That’s why I’m into marketing. I loved all the creative stuff that she taught me. Making posters and working in the store. She also took me to NYC! It was so much fun and opened up my world. It was a life-changing experience.
Advice for current students?
Find your passion. Even if other people don’t agree with it or want you to do it, just follow it and you’ll find a way to make it into a job.
Fondest memory of WSD?
My sports teams. I’m still best friends with everyone I played with. I miss playing. I miss going to practice. I miss the bus rides to games. Those were the best experiences. You don’t appreciate it at the moment, because you have so much homework and just want it to be over, but now I wish I could still do it.
Why do you heart WSD?
I didn’t realize how much I loved Winooski until went to college. The first day I went to Eckerd there was an opening day celebration and I was looking around and realized how much less diverse my college was compared to Winooski. The school made me into a respectful, open-minded person. Winooski taught me not to stereotype. The diversity is really unique and my favorite part about it, looking back. You need to experience it and talk to people and build relationships. I talk about it in my college classes all the time, about how my friends were Muslim, or from Nepal, and my classmates didn’t understand it because not many schools are as diverse as Winooski. The lack of diversity is the one thing I don’t like about my college. In Winooski, everyone’s views and perspectives are so different. Being part of that made me into the person I am today.