Maddie Taylor

Maddie Taylor: From The Old Line State to Purdue

Maddie Taylor hails from Sykesville, Maryland, the “Old Line State.”

Originally undecided about her educational path at Purdue, Taylor joined other students in the Exploratory Studies program. That program provides students the opportunity “to explore options and interests before [they] select a major.”

Now a junior, Maddie majors in Political Science and Communications. She minors in History.

During her time at Purdue, Taylor has had the opportunity of meeting with individuals at the highest level of the federal government. She has also interacted with leading journalists at Axios, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and The Washington Post.

Taylor is a member of two academic honor societies, Lambda Pi Eta (Communication Studies Honor Society) and Purdue’s award-winning chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national Political Science Honor Society.

Headed by former Central Intelligence Agency Senior Analyst and Clinical Assistant Professor Melissa Will, Purdue’s chapter visited the United States Institute of Peace in 2020. Led by faculty members Nadia Brown and Natasha Duncan, PSA members also witnessed the first step in the 2020 election, the Iowa Caucuses.

As for Taylor, her time with Pi Sigma Alpha has given her the opportunity to be involved in a voter registration drive and network with other Boilermakers.

Maddie’s classroom experiences in Political Science have been equally rewarding. According to Maddie, “My Political Science classes have by far been my favorite courses that I've taken.”

Her comments about the department are peppered with references to her “very knowledgeable professors” and “the array of courses” she has taken, especially those focusing on media and politics. She also talks about the “amazing opportunities” she has been able to “utilize from the Political Science Department and the Brian Lamb school.”

According to Taylor, “Purdue has challenged me and taught me how to flourish in a multitude of environments, and I will always be grateful for my time and connections I have made there.”

Following her graduation, Maddie hopes to attend law school. She is especially interested in pursuing a law degree in Canada. Other options she is thinking about include “getting a job in local or state politics.”