Some girls dream of being in pageants their entire life. Taylor Schettler, Castle Rock, Colo., was not one of them. She actually had no great interest in competing in pageants until she was 12, when Mrs. America came to her school and spoke about the DARE program.
Despite her late start, she was 2nd runner up at the national level as Ms. Junior Teen Colorado in 2007, and two years later she won Miss Teen Colorado USA. As the Miss Teen Colorado, she served as the chair person of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, worked at the Children’s Hospital and spoke to many middle and high school students about drugs and goal setting.
“Being Miss Teen Colorado made me realize things were about more than myself,” Schettler said. “I learned a lot about paying it forward and giving back. It made me realize the world was much bigger than you.”
Nowadays, you can find Taylor, a political science major with an economics minor, working as the president for the KU College Republicans Club. In her position, she does campaign work and brings in political speakers to inform about politics, policy and public event. They have brought Gov. Sam Brownback and former Ambassador to the United Nations, John Holt.
Taylor and Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins
“My favorite experience with the KU Republicans Club was when I met Dean Nealy at a chamber dinner,” said Schettler. “It was such an awesome opportunity to meet another woman who understands how it is to be a woman in business.”