FHC is full of talented athletes, gifted students, motivated leaders, and consistent hard workers. Rarely, however, is one student a combination of all of these. Freshman Taylor Baumgardner is just that: a golfer, a runner, and a student council trustee.

Golf is Taylor’s first passion. She is on the JV golf team and has been playing since she was four years old.

“I love [playing golf],” Taylor said. “It is a way to remember [my grandpa]. I also have a family where almost everyone loves [golf].”

Taylor hopes to continue to play throughout high school and would really like to play for UW Madison’s golf team in college.

Taylor’s schedule during golf season is something to admire. She always stays late on nights she has practice. She constantly works on her game and talks to her coach about improvement. She also balances school, homework, and babysitting her two-year-old brother, Mason, on top of everything else.

Golf isn’t always about the game to Taylor, though. Her teammates have seemed to make her experience something she will always remember.

“[My teammates] are all such great people,” Taylor said. “They are so funny and kind, and I love being a part of their team.”

Taylor has high hopes for her golf future; she hopes to reach a score as low as 35.

Not only has Taylor showed a distinct interest in golf, but she has a new passion for track and field.

“What I love the most about track is the variety [of events],” said Taylor, who started track last year. “Everyone has an event to fit them as an athlete.”

Taylor started track because she had to stop playing soccer year round, and during that period, she discovered her love for pole vaulting.

“I really love how difficult [pole vaulting] is,” Taylor said. “It makes me super satisfied when I do it well. It is also kind of scary, so it pushes me out of my comfort zone. [My love for pole vaulting is] kind of about the thrill of it.”

Taylor’s love for track and field is obvious, but her newfound passion for student council is something to be admired as well.

Right now, Taylor is a trustee because two members of student council dropped out. Student council approached Taylor and asked her to become a trustee, and she graciously accepted and embraced her new role in the school. She is going to continue to run for council and hopes to take on the role of the Class of 2021 president.

“My goal is to make the school year a lot more fun,” Taylor said. “I can assure you that with me hopefully becoming the president [of the Class of 2021], [we] will dominate Ranger Challenge activities.”

In addition to being a part of student council and being an athlete, Taylor spends summers and holidays with her mom in Cambridge, Wisconsin.

When in Wisconsin, she works on a cornfield for a company called Spangler Seed Co. She also enjoys spending time with her friends.

“[Cambridge] is such a nice little country town,” Taylor said. “The people are so sweet.”

Taylor’s time in Wisconsin helped her find a piece of her future: UW Madison.

“I have wanted to go [to UW Madison] since I was twelve,” Taylor said. “I am in love with the campus and the people there.”

Taylor is undecided on what she will study during college but hopes to have a career where she is able to help others.

By the end of high school, Taylor really hopes to make her mark on the school and leave Michigan feeling as if her years at FHC were used to the fullest.

“By the end of high school, I would like to have completed putting in all my years of effort,” Taylor said. “I want to have really good grades, but in addition to that, I would like to have spent my time doing things that matter to the community.”