It has been said that dedication is not what others expect of you, it is what you can give to others. Stephanie Taylor, executive assistant to President Paul Conn, is dedicated to Lee. She daily gives of her time and energy in order to contribute to an organization that she feels is changing people’s lives.
Stephanie Taylor has been working with the president since July of 1998 and has never hesitated in her belief that this position is right where God wants her to be. “I was born to do this job,” said Stephanie. “I like being a part of something that matters. I really feel like we’re impacting the world.”
A Lee alumna and the first person to get married in the gazebo on Alumni Park, Stephanie has always felt that she was a part of Lee and meant to be here. “I never thought about going anywhere else. I aggravated my high school guidance counselor because the only place I would send my SAT scores was Lee University. It’s like I have a Lee magnet in my soul,” said Taylor. She graduated with a degree in English in 1984.
By approaching her high-intensity job as a calling, Stephanie manages to juggle her many responsibilities with a bright smile and great attitude. Her job requires her to take care of the president’s schedule and to make sure that Dr. Conn knows right where he’s supposed to be every minute. She also coordinates communication for the various audiences that require time with the president, from students and parents to faculty and church representatives.
“It’s never boring,” laughed Stephanie. “I never know what is going to face me each day.”
Being at a college, especially, makes Stephanie feel like her calling is not just a ministry to the president’s office but to society. “I really feel like college-age people are at a crossroads in their lives and being at a university, you’re present at a place where people are formulating who they are,” she said. “At Lee, being a Christian campus, I feel that it’s more of a mission because people are really cementing their personal theology and finding out what’s important to them.”
In fact, if she wasn’t working at Lee, Stephanie says that she feels that she would still be working in ministry. “I think my personality is to seek out a place where I’m making a difference,” said Stephanie. “I feel like this is a ministry so I feel called to the ministry very specifically in this job.”
As in any ministry, there are many ups and downs in Taylor’s work. “Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming because there are so many different threads to the tapestry, and sometimes they come flying at me all at once,” she said. “Not being able to help people that need it is hard. Those are the issues that tug at my heart and are really difficult for me.”
However, the camaraderie that is born of dealing with these situations makes the staff of the president’s office a source of strength for Stephanie. “The most fun thing about this job is the people. The way we do this job is not 8 to 5. We kind of live our lives here so we form relationships that are atypical of the normal professional relationship.”
In addition to her duties as executive assistant to the president and secretary to the Lee Board of Directors, Stephanie also does voice-over work for the university. Many people on campus may very well recognize Taylor’s voice even if they have no idea who she is. In high school, she won the Church of God National Teen Talent competition for Bible-reading. “I did some voice-over work at Westmore,” she said, “and then Ron Gilbert asked me to do some work for Lee videos.”
Taylor’s work does not end when she leaves campus, however. She has been married to Robin for 22 years and they have three children, Amber, 20; Lindsey, 16; and Ben, 14. “The only way I can do it all is because Robin is such a good father and a nurturing kind of person, so he picks up a lot of my slack,” said Stephanie.
She and Robin volunteer at Westmore Church of God, both with the Oneighty youth group, and Stephanie with the Connection, which is a group of 20-something women who meet monthly.
Stephanie Taylor knows she is where she is supposed to be. “There’s never been a time in my life that I didn’t love it here,” said Taylor and there’s no doubt about it, she meant it.