FAR LEFT: Taylor during her interview at the Distinguished Young Women contest. LEFT: Taylor won Michigan’s competition and will compete for the national title this June in Mobile, Ala. Alicia Mendelson, family educator and madrichim coordinator at Tyner Religious School, agrees. “Melanie is an exceptional young lady. Her amiability, kindness and compassion allow her to easily engage with her students as she fosters their learning and growth in every respect,” Mendelson says. “Amongst the most important aspects of a madrich’s role is to exemplify the type of young adult that students should aspire to be. As an excel- lent student herself, a competitive dancer and a dedicated volunteer, she’s a natural role-model and inspiration.” Taylor makes sure her community ser- vice involves the programs that helped shape who she is and positively impact the Jewish and Birmingham communities. “As a madricha, I’m at the point now 2 O O7 10 Years of doing school differently Happy 10 th Anniversary! Oakland Early College Orchard Ridge Campus, Farmington Hills and professional experiences in a small school environment, and up to 60 transferable credits towards their undergraduate degree and/or an Associate Degree from Oakland Community College. ęĊđđĆėđĆĘĘĔċ2018 Where they’re headed . . . Albion College Cedarville University Central Michigan University Chapman University DePaul University Eastern Michigan University Grand Valley State University Kalamazoo College Kenyon College Kettering University Langston University Lawrence Technological University Lees-McRae College Loyola University Chicago Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Mississippi State University D Oakland Community College Oakland University Oberlin College Ohio Wesleyan University Penn State University Purdue University Tiffin University United States Armed Forces University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Massachusetts Boston University of Vermont University of Detroit Mercy University of Michigan Ann Arbor University of Michigan Dearborn Wayne State University Western Michigan University Whitman College E A R LY LEGE OL C Culture Oakland Early College Oakland Early College (OEC) is a “hybrid” school Hybrid High School College combining the best and elements of high school and Oakland County residents can school earn a on high school college. OEC students attend Oakland diploma AND an Associate degree or 60 cred- Community College’s Orchard Ridge campus, engaging its in towards a Bachelor’s degree - tuition free taught - at an exciting college-preparatory curriculum by teachers award-winning West high Bloomfield Oakland Early from College. OEC blends school students graduate with their and School college District. into a OEC 5 year program combining high high school diplomas, innovative school graduation and two years of educational college... Taylor knows she didn’t get to where she is today alone, and she credits her family, teachers, dance coach and volun- teer advisers. She’s learned a lot from their mentorship. “Being able to listen to and take other people’s advice is the most valuable thing I’ve learned,” she says. “It’s knowing your own priorities but allowing others around you to help in what you want to do. That’s super important and allows you to become successful.” With an impressive resume behind her, what’s in store for Taylor’s future? To start, she’s heading to Mobile, Ala., in June to compete in the Distinguished Young Women National Finals. Then, it’s off to Ann Arbor in the fall to pursue a degree in linguistics at the University of Michigan. While at U-M, she plans to be just as involved as she was in high school and is hoping to write for the Michigan Daily, join the hip hop dance troupe and investi- gate Greek life. She plans to eventually become a lawyer. • Oakland Early College Proudly Congratulates the College OA K L A N E A R LY D LEGE OL C OA K L A N the editorial board on newspaper, and I was captain this year on dance team. It’s the motivation to create a legacy and to give back to the programs that made me who I am.” Karen Gordon, JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest co-delegation head, says Taylor’s work with the Maccabi dance team is motivating to the girls she works with. “As an athlete, she competed with grace both on and off the dance floor. She was always quick to lend a helping hand to not only her teammates, but also those from other delegations and in the host community,” Gordon says. “The girls look up to her leadership, dance success and energy. Her accomplishments both in and out of the competitive arena are inspiring.” where the kids that I tutored for their bar/bat mitzvahs are now becoming madrichim themselves, so that’s amazing that it’s come full circle,” she says. “I really feel like I’m teaching kids Hebrew, pre- paring them for the bimah and making them think about the scripture and what they’re reading.” Not only does her volunteer work allow her to leave a legacy in the communities that mean so much to her, but her time as a madricha and with Maccabi have allowed her to stay in touch with her Jewish faith and create her own religious identity. “I’ve learned a lot about Judaism going back to the classroom as a madricha year after year. It’s so important for me to still know Hebrew because it’s a huge part of my Jewish identity,” Taylor says. “Staying involved allows me to think about Judaism on my own terms as opposed to just being fed a religious school experi- ence. It gives me a more intimate relation- ship with my religion because it’s some- thing I developed on my own.” Co m m u nit y 2 O O7 West Bloomfield School District Oakland Early College WWW . WBSD . ORG www.oaklandearlycollege.org jn May 24 • 2018 31