LEGION TAYLOR NAMED SUNSHINE STATE SCHOLAR

Legion Taylor

Special to The Sun

Legion Taylor, a junior at Wakulla High School, has been selected as WHS’ 2022 Sunshine State Scholar.
He is one of only 103 juniors statewide to earn this award.
Each of Florida’s school districts select their top 11th-grade student in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM). Each scholar, along with their parents, will travel to Orlando for an extraordinary program designed to bring together scholars from around the state, connect them with employers that specialize in the STEM fields, and create a networking opportunity between the scholars and schools from Florida’s College and State University System.
The two-day program honors each scholar for their significant academic accomplishments and celebrates the potential they represent for their communities and state. In addition to the honor the scholars receive from the Commissioner of Education, the Senior Chancellor and representatives from Florida’s colleges and universities meet with the students to discuss higher education opportunities available to them in Florida. This includes workshops for college applications and informational sessions on college funding for students and their parents! The 2022-23 Sunshine State Scholars program will be held April 13 to April 15 in Orlando.
Legion was chosen by a WHS committee for his outstanding academic record, his interest in math and science, plus his impressive ACT and Advanced Placement (AP) scores. After graduating, he plans to attend a post-secondary institution, like Florida State or the University of Florida.
Taylor, who showed an early affinity for math and science, began high school courses in middle school. Currently enrolled in the toughest math and science courses at WHS, Legion is studying Advanced Placement Calculus and Environmental Science, alongside dual enrollment courses Intro to Lit and British Literature. Additionally, he has excelled as a member of Wakulla High’s Engineering academy.
Susan Bistrican, Legion’s dual enrollment instructor through Tallahassee Community College, calls him a “powerhouse of a student who simultaneously maintains his humility.”  She says of his work ethic, “He completes all his work with thoughtful and thorough consideration, but he also really cares about what he is learning, regardless of grades.”
A well-rounded student, Taylor is a member of the Wakulla High School Brain Brawl team and a weekly volunteer at the Wakulla County Public Library.
Taylor is the son of William and Karen Taylor.
“As one of our own who attended both Shadeville and Riversink Elementary, Riversprings Middle School, and now Wakulla High School, we are so proud of everything that Legion has accomplished and continue to look forward to following his success in his chosen field,” said Superintendent Bobby Pearce.