Meet Edward R. Leahy Award Winner Taylor Maxson ’24

Taylor Maxson of Honesdale, Pennsylvania was recently awarded the 2023 Edward R. Leahy Award. This award is given annually to a rising junior or senior in the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) at The University of Scranton, who has achieved academic excellence in his or her field of study and participates in related extracurricular activities, demonstrating the commitment and promise to become a model leader in their field. The Edward R. Leahy Award was established by an anonymous donor in Mr. Leahy’s honor and is accompanied by a monetary stipend.

Taylor’s GPA puts her within the top of her nursing class. The Department of Nursing describes Taylor as a motivated and eager learner. Her commitment to learning is reflected in her grades, which have qualified her for Dean’s List several times. She actively participates in class, simulation, and laboratory. In addition to her academic achievements, Taylor is an involved student both on campus and in the community. Her service activities are diverse in nature contributing to Taylor’s well-rounded professional development.

Taylor serves as a student representative on The Department of Nursing’s Undergraduate Nursing Resource Com mittee. She assumed this leadership role to better understand the resources available to the undergraduate students. As a Royal Ambassador, Taylor exemplifies the values and expectations of a University of Scranton student while meeting with new students and their families. Taylor has been an active member in the Student Nurses’ Association since her first year at Scranton. She is also an active member of Colleges Against Cancer, a nationwide collaboration of college faculty, staff, and students dedicated to the elimination cancer through programs sponsored through the American Cancer Society. This activity is particularly meaningful for Taylor, as a family member was recently diagnosed with cancer. She also participates in intramural sports on campus to increase her camaraderie with other students outside of the nursing program and to be a fully involved resident student. Taylor has also volunteered for the United Neighborhood Food Pantry, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, Vascular Center, and an annual blood drive.

For over a year, Taylor has been working as a Nursing Assistant at Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton. Her professors say she applies didactic and clinical learning easily in her work setting. This experience has helped Taylor learn to balance the demands of being a capable student with a strong work ethic. Taylor says her experience also allows her to develop professional behaviors as she looks to the RNs on her unit as role models.