Name: Taylor MortensenHometown: Mankato, MinnesotaProgram of Emphasis: Health, Wellness, and FitnessYear: JuniorRelationship Status: Single
HC: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
TM: I grew up a little ways outside of Mankato, MN and I attended a small high school, with a graduating class of 30. I love the outdoors no matter the weather! In the winter I enjoy snowmobiling and during the summer I love to go boating and get involved in wake boarding and knee boarding–basically I’m an adrenaline seeker. I want to go skydiving, bungee jumping, and cliff diving at least once in my life.
HC: How are you involved on campus at UW-Stout?
TM: I’m in the Army ROTC program, as well as a helper in the athletic training room here at Stout.
HC: What made you decide to want to join the National Guard?
TM: I honestly never wanted to do anything with the military until my spring semester of my freshmen year. I had played sports all throughout high school and when I came to Stout I realized how much I missed being part of a team and always having people around that shared the same common goals. So my spring semester I enrolled in a Military Science class and fell in love with the program and the goals behind it. I ended up enlisting only two weeks after being in classes and I haven’t looked back since.
HC: What is something most people don’t know or expect about being in the National Guard?
TM: The National Guard opens up a lot of opportunities that I never thought I would be able to do in not only my military career, but my civilian career as well. The skills you learn at training events or drill can also help someone to be more confident and outgoing outside of the military life.
HC: What has been your favorite memory so far this semester?
TM: Going on spring break to South Padre Island, TX with over a hundred students from Stout.
HC: I bet that was a blast! How have your experiences in dating or relationships shaped you to be the person that you are today?
TM: I haven’t been in a long term relationship since the summer before coming to Stout, but I have dated here and there. I feel that it’s not worth being in a relationship with someone unless they share the same common goals and motivation as me.
HC: What qualities do you find most attractive in a potential significant other?
TM: I like a guy that is confident and physically fit. If I can lift or run faster than them it’s a no go. I’m a sucker for blue eyes and I like someone that can tell me no when needed. He also has to love being outside and make the best of whatever weather or season.
HC: Do you think it’s unrealistic for girls or guys to have a proposed “timeline” for their future, regarding things like when they will have kids or get married, or do you think it’s better to “go with the flow?”
TM: I feel like if you try forcing or putting a timeline on a relationship it is just setting you up for failure.
HC: Who do you consider the most influential person in your life?
TM: I would have to say my past professor for military science Major Sunsdahl.
HC: What do you look forward to most after college?
TM: I look forward to seeing where the future takes me. I can’t wait to see where I end up or what job I will have.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I’m scared of the dark!