Taylor Bradford: Howie Rich Leadership Award

In celebration of La Vida’s 40th anniversary in 2010, La Vida initiated a student leadership award. This award, named after Howie Rich, is based on Howie’s faithfulness in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with high school students.

Howie was the Young Life Area Director in Danvers, Massachusetts from 1970 to 1999. Following his leadership in Young Life, Howie became the pastor of Union Congregational Church in Magnolia until his death in 2009. After taking four groups of high school students on extended La Vida expeditions, he became known for his belief that “God calls us to be faithful, not successful.” Howie served as an inspiration to many and we hope the leadership award in his name will keep his memory and influence alive.

The recipient of this award must be a current Gordon College student who participated in La Vida or Discovery and returned to serve in a leadership capacity. Recipients are known for their ability to encourage others to make a deeper commitment to Christ. This award can be applied to the cost of tuition or used to fund a service, learning or ministry endeavor.

We are pleased to present this year’s award to Taylor Bradford. Taylor is a senior communication arts major who grew up and lives in Beverly, MA, with her parents and two brothers. Before coming to Gordon, Taylor attended a classical school in Peabody called Covenant Christian where she played soccer and basketball and ran cross-country and track. Ironically, as a child, Taylor hated hiking even though her family encouraged her to participate in outdoor activities. Taylor says that it wasn’t until a high school La Vida trip in the ninth grade (followed by her La Vida trip as a first-year Gordon student) that she found a love for the outdoors. The experiences Taylor had with La Vida gave her a new perspective on the value of community and overcoming challenges to persevere and hold fast to God. These challenges drove Taylor to focus on God’s Word while overcoming each trial at hand. And the community aspect of La Vida granted Taylor the opportunity to build new relationships with people she now considers her closest college friends. Taylor is confident the growth and learning she experienced on La Vida gave her the necessary tools to succeed academically at Gordon by giving her a stronger and more confident voice.

After participating in two La Vida trips as a participant, Taylor went on to serve La Vida by faithfully leading five programs. To begin, Taylor served as a CIT for Adventure Camp, followed by her time serving as a photographer and camp counselor. Later, Taylor went on to apprentice four Discovery courses while also working in the Rock Gym and on challenge course days with Adventure Pursuits. Not only has Taylor been an integral part of our staff on campus, she has also gone on to lead extended wilderness trips in the Adirondacks for two summers and is currently serving as an intern for the La Vida Center for Outdoor Education and Leadership.

Taylor’s heart for service, alongside her kindness and bright smile, make me confident to call her one of the most positive and encouraging people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She has been a go-to friend for many years and a helping hand any time one is needed. Taylor exemplifies all qualities of hospitality and is well aware of the power of encouragement, going above and beyond to encourage others. I recall a time last year when I was driving out of Gordon with a group of Discovery students heading to New Hampshire. While driving out of Gordon, I saw Taylor standing on the side of the road near the library holding a sign that read “The Mountains are Calling.” By the next quad, she had others out there with her, encouraging students to grow from an experience in community and solitude.

In the future, Taylor aspires to be a writer. During her time at Gordon she has worked as the managing editor of Gordon College’s newspaper, the Tartan. Under her direction, the Tartan won first place from the Society of Professional Journalists in the Mark of Excellence Awards for in-depth reporting. Taylor is a positive influence and an integral part of every team she has served at Gordon. We, at La Vida, are eager to see where Taylor will leave her mark next in the field of writing, in service to others, and in her faith in God.