By SAMANTHA HURST / For the Reporter

Taylor Hinch finds herself drawn to making life better for others.

“When you surround yourself with people who will support you, guide you and pick you up when you need it – that changes how you see the world,” Hinch said.

Counselor Mindy Black offered an extensive list of the Indian Springs senior’s civic involvement.

“Taylor has an extraordinary commitment to public service and to finding ways to improve every community of which she is a part,” Black said.

Hinch has tutored students every month at Helena Middle School and took part in monthly projects through YouthServe. She even assisted in planning the school’s semiannual day of service.

One of Hinch’s largest service endeavors was to spearhead a fundraiser, “Springs on a Mission,” that raised $1,500 for the Young Women’s Christian Association or YWCA.

Discovering more about the YWCA’s mission and later participating in a two-week leadership institute at Brown University further ignited her passion for social justice.

“That’s the first time I really saw how understanding your own identity and the identities of others makes you a better leader,” Hinch said. “When you know where someone is coming from, you can use that to get more accomplished.”

Her next service role will be played at Villanova University. There she’s received a full Presidential Scholarship and will double major in the school’s Peace and Conflict major, as well as political science. She aims to use those majors and her passion for social change to work for the United Nations or run for Senate one day.