Meet the Fellow: Taylin Bower, Baltimore, MD

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NAME: TAYLIN BOWER

HOMETOWN: PENN YAN, NEW YORK

It’s time to meet the first fellow at the Baltimore office! Taylin’s interest in criminal justice policy and helping those from disadvantaged populations is showcased not only in her past experiences and educational background but also in the passion and eagerness with which she works with her clients. Since graduating from SUNY Geneseo in 2017 with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Psychology, Taylin has gone on to intern at the Smithsonian Institute and get her Master’s in Philosophy and Social Policy at George Washington University. She has enjoyed transferring these interests and skills to her current role as a Work First Fellow.

At the America Works office in Baltimore, Taylin has been enjoying her time working with pretrial and re-entry clients. Taylin says, “working with them and hearing their stories, their fears, and their goals have been very eye-opening and a huge learning experience for me.” Getting to be a part of their growth and witness their journey first hand has emphasized Taylin’s passion for continuing to work with this population.

TAYLIN’S FAVORITE QUOTE:

"If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." - Sirius Black (J.K. Rowling)

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Outside of work, Taylin enjoys exploring the outdoors and going on hikes. She accredits this to growing up in a small rural town where she established her appreciation for nature. In fact, Taylin’s hometown was so small that her graduating high school class only had 32 students! During her free time Taylin also really enjoys reading. During quarantine, she made an effort to catch up on some of the literature “classics.” Some of the books that Taylin has read are Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, Brave New World, and The Color Purple. From what she’s read so far, The Bell Jar and Slaughterhouse-Five have been her favorites.

TAYLIN’S FAVORITE BOOK:

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

After Taylin completes her year of the fellowship she is hoping to work with an organization committed to criminal justice reform and/or policy. She is glad to be serving this population in her role at the Baltimore office and has enjoyed getting to work closely with the clients and build relationships with them. Taylin is excited to see what the rest of the year holds!

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