Kelly Taylor, Associate in Science in Liberal Arts, 2020

Kelly Taylor of Wesley Chapel, Florida, earned an Associate in Science in Liberal Arts in 2020. She shares, “I recently received a second-place award in the 2026 Civil Rights and Social Justice Poetry Competition at Stetson University for my poem, “Alabaster Jar.” The poem is especially meaningful to me because it raises awareness of the challenges faced by a woman experiencing homelessness who is living in a burned cardboard box. The poem has since been published online in Sojournal. I also plan to return to Excelsior University in January to complete the remaining courses for my Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In addition, I am proud to be a U.S. Coast Guard veteran.”