Director of Outreach and High School Partnerships Taylor Hooker

As WAICU Director of Outreach and High School Partnerships, Taylor Hooker has spent the past two years, soon to be officially marked this November, championing initiatives that connect students, educators, and communities with the opportunities offered by Wisconsin’s private colleges.

Taylor is a key member of WAICU’s external relations team, where her work centers on supporting member institutions’ enrollment and retention efforts. Her role includes sharing members’ information with middle and high school students, school counselors, and families; coordinating professional development workshops for counselors; managing WAICU’s portfolio of scholarships and grants; and overseeing the organization’s Nonprofit Internship Program.

One of Taylor’s proudest achievements is her work with the Nonprofit Internship Program, which places WAICU-member undergraduate students at Wisconsin nonprofit organizations for summer internships. These students not only gain valuable experience but also receive a stipend and scholarship. “It’s incredibly rewarding to get to know these students and see their transformation over the span of the internship,” Taylor shares. “At the same time, I learn so much about the important work nonprofits are doing across our state.”

Taylor’s passion for her work stems from the meaningful intersection of supporting WAICU members and creating life-changing opportunities for students. “This work can be incredibly challenging,” she says, “but the reward of working toward something that improves someone’s quality of life makes the challenges worth it.”

Taylor brings deep commitment and enthusiasm to her role. Outside of work, she enjoys a rich personal life gardening, preserving her harvest, crafting, reading, and indulging in comedy. Her ideal day? “A day that’s completely unplanned, spent with someone I care about, doing whatever we decide sounds like fun.”