What does a girl from Brooklyn, New York do in the rural cornfields at Taylor University?
“I came my first day and I downloaded Uber and Lyft, and I couldn't find anything,” senior communication major Briona Graham said.
Throughout her four years at Taylor, Graham has learned about community and dependence in a multitude of ways, whether through a car ride or something deeper like a mentor.
Having grown up in a highly individualistic community, relying on others is something she has had to learn.
“At Taylor, the culture is intentional community,” she said. “You depend on one another.”
Instead of letting the differences between city and country living get in the way, Graham has found ways to thrive at Taylor.
As a senior, she has experienced the countless aspects campus has to offer. She has participated in several clubs and led various organizations on campus.
Now, during her final year at Taylor, Graham has stepped into the role of student body vice president (SBVP), alongside senior Wade Frances, student body president.
In the summer of 2023, she and Frances met and worked at IMPACT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Camp together, which is held on Taylor’s campus every summer. During the following school year, they both interned for IMPACT and became closer friends.
“During the internship, he brought up this idea of student (government) to me, and I immediately agreed,” Graham said.
Her experience as vice president has been an incredibly positive experience, Graham said. It has also been surprising in the ways she has found joy and fulfillment in the role.
This time has allowed her to work with a wide variety of people and faculty at Taylor and given her an inside point-of-view on how the university operates.
“It helps me understand and define team culture,” she said.
Graham’s role at Taylor this year has given her a new appreciation for her own giftings.
As a communication major, she found excitement in the different opportunities open to her.
“God has given me a diverse set of skills and passions,” she said. “I love project management, planning, working with entrepreneurs, working with innovation. I love concept development of ideas and projects and I love to keep the wheels in my brain turning.”
Her love for these things has fueled her desire to uplift student organizations at Taylor. Her experience with many of these organizations in the past has aided her ability to pour into them in a leadership context.
Currently, Graham serves as the Ignite intern — the lead role — at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship located in the Horne Academic Center.
She also is the co-director, alongside junior Luke Petroelje, for Special Olympics at Taylor, which mainly centers around the Take it to the Hoop event in February.
Graham has a deep appreciation for teamwork and collaboration. Her time as SBVP has given her the opportunity to bring groups across campus together, as well as allowed her to lift them up and provide them with new insight and leadership.
She has also enjoyed the student body leadership team dynamic.
“We work so well together,” Graham said. “So we utilize our strengths; where I'm weak, the others pull in. The flow of it is really surprising to me, because even (with) obstacles that come our way, we pivot well.”
While there are times her experience at Taylor has contrasted from the way that she grew up, Graham is thankful for her years here. Attending a small school has allowed her to work with and meet a wide variety of faculty and students, she said.
As SBVP, she and Frances spend a lot of time working with the university’s vice presidents. The student cabinet gets to talk with the university VPs about the strategic plans the cabinet hopes to implement during their time in leadership. The collaboration helps the student leaders to learn ways to integrate their goals into plans.
While she has loved her time as SBVP, Graham also looks forward to life after she graduates from Taylor. She has begun applying to jobs and praying about what God has for her next.
Graham has deeply appreciated the way that her role this year is preparing her for future opportunities. She has learned to ask prospective interviewers about the team culture and mission of the organizations she is applying to.
“(I am) definitely growing in my strengths as a leader and working with (a) team that is very diverse in its abilities,” she said.
