By Charlton Davis
“You’re invited,” popped up on Taylor Brandon’s phone at 8 a.m. during the last week of April 2025. “Invited to what?” she wondered.
She read further, and the email said for her to visit the Office of Student Success at Mississippi College. The Mississippi College freshman was a little confused as to what award she could possibly be getting. She didn’t think she was that popular around MC, where she was wrapping up her freshman year. She didn’t take into consideration how many activities and clubs she was in: band, Kissimee social tribe and the campus media team.
Once she arrived in the office, Brandon discovered that she had won the Spirit of MC Award. However, being so well-rounded didn’t happen overnight.
A Deep Love For Music
Brandon had to find her groove. Growing up with a dad who was always active and a mother who owned a music studio, Brandon tried to be the best of both worlds. She enjoyed dance and learned how to play the piano, growing up with dreams of Broadway. That influenced her decision to join the band, where she played clarinet, oboe, piano and guitar.
She also tried plenty of sports, from running track to playing volleyball—even attempting powerlifting. But she lacked that competitive drive. She couldn’t find it anywhere besides the thing she loved: music, which spoke to her like no other. However, she would eventually find passion for something else.
One evening when she was 16, Brandon walked into the living room and saw her dad watching TV on the couch.
“Oh, the F1 race is about to come on!” he exclaimed in excitement. “What’s that?” she asked him. “It’s called Formula 1—just another type of race. Come join me,” he said. Brandon reluctantly sat down and was instantly hooked.
Her mind was racing like the F1 drivers. Different ideas about her future were bouncing off the walls of her mind. Then, out of nowhere, the idea hit her: journalism.
“I want to talk about it!” Brandon shouted to her dad.
He was confused for a second but quickly realized what his daughter was talking about.
“Then go talk about it through broadcasting,” he said. So she did.
A Notable Face in Clinton
Brandon started her senior year at Ridgeland High School with her newfound passion in tow. There, she launched her own news station, focusing on issues around school. Titan NewsNow is still going, even a year after Brandon’s graduation. Brandon also took a class on sports marketing at the school, which opened many other doors for her, including sports photography and broadcasting.
The second-year Mississippi Youth Media Project student-mentor went on to major in journalism and minor in music at Mississippi College in fall 2024. Her first-year classes included many communication and music classes. She stayed active around campus, becoming one of the notable faces in Clinton.
Brandon was extremely nervous at the ceremony to celebrate her Spirit of MC award. She felt undeserving to be up there with the big names around campus. However, she was proved wrong.
Sitting in the sunlit room in Anderson Hall, she felt the hair on her hands stand up. “The Spirit of MC award,” VP of Student Experience & Dean of Students Jonathan Ambrose’s voice rang out across the room,“goes to Taylor Brandon!”
The words replayed again and again in Taylor’s head: She is the spirit of MC.
Click here to read about Charlton “CJ” Davis, who wrote this piece about fellow Youth Media Project student journalist Taylor Brandon.