5 Things: Taylor Valentine

Heidelberg always had Taylor Valentine’s interest. Her club volleyball team was located in Tiffin and she even played for ‘Berg head volleyball coach Jason Miller as her club coach for two years. “I had gotten used to his coaching style and liked the success of his program at Heidelberg,” she says. On top of already knowing her future college coach, she knew she wanted a school that was close to home. Taylor loved the feel of the campus but what really sealed the deal was the opportunity to earn an MBA tuition free through the PlusOneAdvantage® program. At Heidelberg, Taylor has enjoyed her time on the volleyball team for all four years

Love for volleyball

Taylor was frequently around the volleyball atmosphere growing up since her mom was a high school varsity coach for years. From day one, she had a love for the game and knew from a young age that she wanted to play. Taylor described the transition from high school volleyball to college as “very difficult.” There was more competition as an outside hitter but Taylor was successful in her career, lettering all four years at Heidelberg. As someone who’s admittedly quiet and shy, volleyball brought her out of her shell and taught her to be a leader, a great skill she can use on and off the court.

The future awaits

After she graduates this spring, Taylor still plans on being around volleyball. She’s currently applying to be a GA and coach. “Coaching is definitely something I could see myself doing,” she says. “I would love to coach at the collegiate level.” If that doesn't work out, she still has a few back-up ideas for her future. Being a business major, she wouldn’t mind working in event management/planning or possibly in retail or real estate. She might even consider getting her master’s in either education or business administration. 

Benefits of athletics

Being a student-athlete can be very time consuming and difficult to manage. As a freshman, Taylor used her resources very well, relying on her upperclass teammates for tips. As part of her AIM Hei class with Dr. Robin Heaton, Taylor learned about time management skills that she used to help her succeed. She also credits Coach Miller for forcing her out of her comfort zone and molding her into a leader. 

Everyone loves Dunkin'

Living in Tiffin as a college student, it’s hard not to go out in the middle of the day and grab a coffee from Dunkin' Donuts. Taylor and a few of her friends get it all the time and decided to try and get it on their own time. Little do people know, you can buy very large containers of the Dunkin' coffee flavors on Amazon. Taylor and her roommates invested in a jug of caramel flavoring so they could make coffee from home and save some money. Because who wouldn’t love that!

Happy Valentine’s Day

Speaking of love and Valentine’s Day, how fun is it to have a last name like Valentine -- especially on the holiday. Funny enough, Taylor and her family love Valentine’s Day. Every year on this day, they try to spend some family time together by going out to eat or making dinner at home. Afterwards, Taylor and her family exchange small gifts to celebrate their special day. “I love Valentine’s Day,” Taylor says.

-- compiled by Tarin Yalich, '20