Tracey Taylor '89

Tracey Taylor '89

As a graduate of the Class of 1989, the Academy of the Holy Names remains, and always will be, a special place for me. I consider myself fortunate for the years I attended the school, and I am very appreciative that my parents chose to send me to the Academy. During the four years I called AHN my home, I not only met my lifelong best friends, but I also experienced a first-rate education and a spiritual grounding that prepared a solid foundation for my life's journey. The Sisters and teachers created an atmosphere where our unique gifts and talents were both valued and fostered.

My AHN experience was not only a gift during those four high school years but also afterward through the beautiful friendships that were based on the Academy's motto, Esse Quam Videri, or "To be, rather than to seem." Thirty-five years later, these friendships continue to grow as we still laugh together (and laugh hard and often), dream with one another, encourage one another, and mourn with one another as we journey through life, treasuring old memories while creating new ones.

After graduating from the Academy, I continued my Catholic education at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, and then spent my career working in the financial industry in Boston, Massachusetts. Although I live 1,000 miles from Tampa, AHN and my classmates are still very much a part of my life. The experiences, education, friendships, and Catholic formation that I received have inspired me to leave a legacy gift to AHN in my estate plans.

A legacy gift is an investment. It is an investment in carrying on our values, beliefs, and commitment to providing a meaningful impact for the Academy's students. I want the next generation of young women to have the opportunity to walk through the same doors I did, knowing that these years will be some of the best of their lives, providing a strong education in the faith, the gift of sisterhood, and lifelong friendships.