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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

G-Prep’s Taylor Kelly stepped out of his comfort zone and grew into leadership through service

Taylor Kinney is graduating Gonzaga Prep and plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Madeline Keckler For The Spokesman-Review

Retreats at Gonzaga Preparatory School are important milestones in the student experience. They’ve been important to Taylor Kelly for another reason: He helps plan them.

Kelly, a senior at Prep, has been extremely involved in the community throughout high school. Between playing on the baseball team and taking on leadership roles in the school’s service organizations, Kelly has made a significant impact on his community.

Kelly is the vice president of the Knights of the Leash, a long-standing service club at Prep. Junior and senior boys are able to apply for the Knights each spring.

“I’m the vice president of the Knights, so I keep track of hours and help us find new activities and service opportunities for us, both in the Prep community and in Spokane,” Kelly said.

Morgan Hatcher, Kelly’s school counselor, spoke about the work Kelly has done with the Knights. The club, she said, represents Prep at events in the community through its service. By serving as the Knights’ vice president, she said, Kelly has been able to use his talents in leadership and organization to help the club broaden its impact.

“Everything he does is a priority,” she said about his commitment to extracurriculars.

In his position with the Knights, Kelly has been able to get out of his comfort zone and find his leadership style.

“I think Taylor especially has gravitated toward going out of his comfort zone, and that’s not something that came to him naturally. As he’s grown over the past four years, he’s become more aware of that comfort zone and how that growth works,” said Taryn League, Kelly’s Advanced Placement U.S. history teacher.

Pushing himself out of his comfort zone has opened the door for leadership opportunities. In addition to working closely with the Knights, he also works with Prep’s campus ministry team to plan retreats.

“Initially, I was inspired by the retreats that I wasn’t leading on. I wanted to help other people have that same experience,” he said.

“He’s the point person for the student leaders, almost like a manager,” Hatcher said. “There’s a group of students that are in charge of different areas in the retreat. His role is to organize each of those leaders, and make sure tasks are getting done.”

Looking back on his time at Prep, Kelly is proud of the work he’s done to serve his community. League said she believes Kelly will continue to be a community-oriented leader in the future, and will keep giving back to the places that inspire him.

“I just think Taylor is going to be one of those kids who recognizes the value of giving back, no matter what community he lives in,” she said.

Kelly plans to attend the University of Notre Dame in the fall. After living in Spokane for the past 18 years and serving the community he knows and loves, he’s excited for the next step.

“It’s bittersweet. I’m ready to go on to the next thing, but I’ll miss parts of it,” he said.