Taylor Rae Cayou, a senior at La Conner High School and a full-time Running Start student at the North West Indian College, is the Soroptimist International of La Conner Honored Student for December.

Taylor started at NWIC as a junior, dividing her time between the high school and NWIC. This year she is full time at the college. When June rolls around she will graduate with her class at the high school and will have an associates degree at NWIC.

Her favorite class at NWIC is cultural sovereignty. She is currently working on a project where she is researching the Fish Wars. She has taken a beading class for an art credit. She has really enjoyed creating earrings and pins.

Taylor has maintained her connection to the high school in a number of ways. She is a cheerleader for basketball; she hopes to play softball in the spring; and she is one of two school board student representatives. She brings the students' voice to all deliberations.

Taylor makes room in her schedule to fish and crab with her dad in the summer. She has been doing this since she was 13. Last summer she participated in the creation of a clam garden at the Kukutali Preserve. The work inspired her to consider marine biology as a possible major. Which brings us to her plans after high school. She is looking at the University of Washington, University of British Columbia and the University of Oregon where she hopes to major in marine biology or Indigenous Studies.

Taylor's proud parents are Louis Cayou and Kim George. Beside a gift certificate to a local coffee shop, she will receive a gift certificate to Vintage Thrift, a shop run by local volunteers to support women and girls in the community, and enabled by the generous donations from the community.

Source: Soroptimist

International of La Conner