Smithfield native Taylor Gabaldon said before she transferred to Cache High School her sophomore year, school was her worst enemy. Now nearing the end of her senior year, she said she loves it and is going to miss it.
“I never really had any problems (at Cache High School), which is weird because at Sky View that’s all it was — problems, problems, problems,” Gabaldon said. “Then I moved schools, and I was like a totally different person.”
Her mother, Annette Strickland, noted the change in Gabaldon once she started attending Cache High. Not just in her grades, but in her excitement to get up and go to school each day.
Gabaldon credited Principal Sheri Hansen and the teachers at Cache High for getting her through the hard times, boosting her self-esteem and giving her the confidence to become a leader both in and out of school.
“They’re just so caring and loving, it helped a lot.”
Hansen described Gabaldon as dedicated, creative and friendly, and said she doesn’t doubt Gabaldon “will find great success in life.”
“Taylor Gabaldon has grown into a true leader and a dependable support system for her peers,” Hansen said. “Known for her strong work ethic, Taylor consistently follows through on her commitments, proving that once she sets her mind to something, nothing can stand in her way.”
Gabaldon said if there is one thing she learned in high school, it is to trust herself and believe she could succeed, something she said she struggled with before.
Gabaldon said when she first started high school, she had a lot going on in her life and school wasn’t her first priority.
Now, when she sees other students going through a hard time, she remembers her own experience and wants to help.
“I remind them they can do this, and it is going to work out,” Gabaldon said. “I just kind of make sure everyone is O.K.”
Cache High Counselor Launi Evans said Gabaldon committed to attending despite barriers that made it easy for her not to go to school — and Gabaldon has thrived.
“We are very proud of Taylor and how far she has come,” Evans said. “She embodies the spirit of Cache High.”
Although she called it nerve wracking, Gabaldon said she is excited to graduate.
She completed her high school classes near the start of the school year and has been dedicating most of her time to the Pharmacy Technician program at Bridgerland Technical College.
One highlight of senior year was being chosen to for the yearbook staff.
Gabaldon said she and the other staff had a lot of freedom to choose what they wanted to put in the yearbook, and it was fun to be a part of it.
“We got to make it up, make it our own yearbook,” Gabaldon said, later adding, “It was amazing. It just gave me the room to be myself.”
Once she graduates from Cache High, Gabaldon will continue the technician program at BTECH into the summer. While she works on her certificate, Gabaldon said she will keep working at Ulta Beauty, and take some trips with her friends.
Even though she is more or less finished at the high school, Gabaldon said she has kept in touch with a lot of the teachers, and it feels good to know she isn’t forgotten.
“(High school) was amazing, and I love everybody at that school, including the students that I went with.”
Cache High School’s graduation is set for 11 a.m. May 27.
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