CAPTURING TAYLOR: From First-Year Nerves to Freshman Confidence

This year, we are so excited to introduce you to one of our newest Teen Team members, Taylor Wadsworth! Taylor is 14 years old and just starting her freshman year at Waterloo Jr/Sr High School. She brings such a fun mix of kindness, dedication, and passion to the team, and I know you’ll fall in love with her story just as much as I did.

Being a part of Davinda’s Teen Team is all about growing confidence, making new friendships, and celebrating what makes each girl unique. Taylor jumped in with an open heart and is already shining.

Who is Taylor?

When you first meet Taylor, she may come across as a little quiet—but don’t let that fool you. Once you get to know her, you’ll quickly discover that she’s warm, kind, and full of energy when surrounded by friends. She’s responsible, honest, and always looking for ways to make others smile.

Taylor’s world is filled with animals, sports, and friendships. A huge part of who she is comes from her involvement in 4-H—something that has been a family tradition for years. She shows market steers, goats, and lambs, and spends much of her time traveling with her family to livestock shows across state lines. “Showing livestock is what makes me me,” she says, and you can hear the passion in her voice when she talks about it.

When she’s not in the show ring, Taylor is staying busy with softball, volleyball (including travel volleyball with Impact Sports Academy), and cheerleading. In fact, she’ll be cheering this year as a JV cheerleader at Waterloo High School, and Friday night lights are one of her absolute favorite experiences.

And of course—like any teenager—she has her favorite snacks and colors. You can win her over easily with mac and cheese, pizza, nachos, wings, Starbursts, or Reese’s. Her go-to colors? Pink, purple, and yellow.

What Her Friends Would Say

Taylor describes herself as kind, funny, caring, and honest—and her friends agree. She’s the type of person people trust, not just because she’s respectful and responsible, but because she’s genuinely loving and friendly. She also has a fun side too: a random fact about Taylor is that she can touch her tongue to her nose, and when she and her best friend Grace are together, they’re known for nonstop giggles.

What She Loves About Herself

One of the things I admire most about Taylor is her confidence in the show ring. She says she has a natural talent for showing livestock and feels comfortable handling just about any animal (except poultry—which she admits she’s a little scared of!). She also takes pride in being a good role model for her school and community. And she loves her striking blue eyes—something unique since both of her parents have brown eyes.

What Fuels Her

When asked what motivates her, Taylor doesn’t hesitate: her animals and her family. Every day, she looks forward to feeding and caring for her livestock, and her parents’ encouragement pushes her to always give her best effort. “As long as I give 100 percent, they’ll be proud of me no matter what,” she says.

She also draws inspiration from role models in the livestock world, especially the Poff sisters, Taylor and Tatumn. “They inspire me because of all the hours they put into their animals. I want to work as hard as they do!”

Looking Ahead

In school, Taylor enjoys math class and loves her lunch table where she and her friends share laughter daily. She’s also a member of Student Council, which allows her to stay involved with leadership at Waterloo.

When thinking about her future, she has her sights set on college—possibly The Ohio State University—to study something ag-related. Her dream career? Combining her two passions: agriculture and photography. “I want to take livestock pictures at jackpot shows or any kind of pictures with livestock,” she explains.

Taylor in Her Own Words

When asked her favorite thing about herself, Taylor answered simply but powerfully:

“My favorite thing about me is my dedication and passion to show livestock. It’s just so natural to me, and I feel like livestock is what makes me myself.”

And after spending time with her, I can confidently say—her passion shines through in everything she does.

Why the Teen Team?

For Taylor, joining the Teen Team was about building self-confidence and forming new friendships. She loves photography and was especially excited about the chance to be part of creative photoshoots that capture memories with the girls. Beyond that, she has a heart for being a role model: “I would love to be a role model for younger girls so they can look up to me and see what a difference I am making.”

Her favorite part so far? “The sunflower photo shoot!” she says with a smile. Spending the day surrounded by gorgeous flowers, laughter, and her mom by her side was the perfect way to kick off this experience. She’s also looking forward to the fall birthday shoot and everything else the season holds.

Taylor, we are so lucky to have you as part of this year’s Teen Team! Your heart, dedication, and love for others bring so much joy to Capture Life, and we can’t wait to see you continue to grow in confidence and leadership this year.