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Thoughts on the Year Ahead

Name: Taylor Lawson
Age: 18
Currently: a knitter, a musician and an idealist
Favorite U.S. President: Thomas Jefferson
Dream Occupation: a novelist/professor/research scientist/truck driver
Hobbies: reading, watching BBC shows and collecting textbooks from Goodwill
Religious/ Political Affiliation: none

Finding Global Citizen Year was mostly an accident: I stumbled upon a Facebook ad
(I don’t usually pay attention to them) and I clicked on it (I NEVER click on them). By the time I sent in my application, I had experienced the Dementor-like soul sucking of the college application process, and it felt more like sending off a hope than applying to something concrete.

Fast-forward to June, and everything is amazingly real. My excitement is ten times what it was when I first found GCY, and I’ve gained a small set of anxieties to boot. I worry about things like malaria pills and whether they’re even necessary with my heterozygote advantage. I worry about the new season of Sherlock that I probably won’t get to see. I worry about finding some way to stuff my violin and all my knitting supplies into my suitcase and leave room for clothes at the same time.

“You’ll have better things to worry about when you get there,” my mom tells me, and I know she’s right. The little thing with feathers perched in my soul tells me that I am capable, I can do this and I will have an amazing experience. With the encouragement of my family, the other fellows and the GCY team, I’m inclined to believe it.

Taylor Lawson

About Taylor Lawson


Taylor Lawson loves dreaming big and problem solving. In high school, they worked to promote social justice through a number of local organizations, like Youth Empowerment Council and the Latin American Coalition, as well as through school clubs like Gay-Straight Alliance and Diversity Club. In their spare time, Taylor enjoys knitting, playing D&D, writing, and making music. Taylor plays a number of instruments, including violin, viola, cello, guitar, ukulele and piano.

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