Taylor Plate, a senior public relations major from Allen, Texas, has been selected as the College of Media & Communication’s banner bearer for the Spring 2020 graduation ceremony. Plate was nominated for her outstanding academic record as an undergraduate student.
Taylor Plate, a senior public relations major from Allen, Texas, has been selected as the College of Media & Communication's banner bearer for the Spring 2020 graduation ceremony. Plate was nominated for her outstanding academic record as an undergraduate student. Due to COVID-19, the upcoming commencement ceremony will be held virtually.
“I'm very excited about this honor,” Plate said. “It's representative of all the hard work I've done and it proves to me that hard work really does pay off in the end.”
Plate is a first-generation college student, and the recognition was also thrilling for her family.
“The honor of banner bearer means so much to me and my dad,” she said. “He was very proud and after I told him of the news, he went and told all his coworkers that very same afternoon.”
After realizing she wanted to change her major, Plate found the perfect fit at CoMC.
“When I first came to Texas Tech, I was in a different major but it wasn't quite right, so I met with a CoMC adviser and she was super-enthusiastic and welcoming,” Plate said. “It was this, along with her attitude and willingness to help, that convinced me to join the college, and once I became a student here, I felt right at home.”
Additionally, Plate has felt supported and encouraged by others in the college.
“The CoMC professors have far exceeded my expectations,” she said. “They are so amazing and supportive, and are willing to help you outside classes. I've never had that before and it made all the difference to know they were there if I needed them.”
Plate was not only busy with the academic side of life. She was also involved with several of the organizations within the college, as well as working with a local non-profit organization off-campus.
Photo by Jerod Foster. Taylor was a member of the 2020 Adventure Media course, a program that introduces students to the outdoor recreation and adventure media industry through intense, immersive production experiences while bikepacking in various places in Texas and the Southwest.
“I was a member of Tech PR and also held the treasurer position for the student organization of the Association of Women in Communication, which was an amazing experience,” she said. “The organization started off originally as a very small group, but after lots of hard work, it's now the biggest student chapter of AWC in the nation. We're very proud of that.”
Plate's plan for the future is to work with a non-profit organization, especially one with a focus on benefiting children.
“I've been working with the Lubbock Boys and Girls Club for the past two years, and it's been a wonderful experience,” she said. “I'm looking forward to going out in the world and making a difference with my degree.”
“Thanks to CoMC, I now feel ready to face the world.”
Portrait by Jerod Foster. Taylor was a member of the 2020 Adventure Media course, a program that introduces students to the outdoor recreation and adventure media industry through intense, immersive production experiences while bikepacking in various places in Texas and the Southwest. This portrait was made in the Clarity Tunnel during the class's annual overnighter along the Caprock Canyons State Park Trailway near Quitaque, Texas. The tunnel is an old rail tunnel cut into the Caprock Escarpment and is now a seasonal home to thousands of Mexican Free-tailed bats.
Read more about past banner bearers of the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University.