By Madelyn Morgan

You have probably seen her around campus, or even been in her office when she uses the line, “You get a piece of candy if you tell me your name and how long you have been here,” but maybe you don’t know too much about her. New Collegiate Upper School counselor Taylor Mullen is truly dedicated to the well-being of the students at Collegiate, and, as befitting her new role, is also simply an easy person to talk to. 

Mullen graduating from UVA.

Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mullen attended Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, where the strong connections with teachers and other students left a lasting impression. “I wanted to work at a school that reminded me of the school I went to,” Mullen said, emphasizing the importance of community in schools.

Mullen’s journey to counseling was not straightforward. Initially pursuing a nursing degree at the University of Vermont, Mullen found herself drawn to conversations that went beyond medicine. “It was supposed to be a quick ‘So nice to meet you,’ but it turned into a 30-minute conversation of me asking how they’re feeling, their life, their family,” recalled Mullen. The patient then told her, “You should be a therapist,” and that is when Mullen realized her true calling. 

Entering her spring semester in her sophomore year at Vermont, Mullen changed from nursing to an undergraduate degree in human development and family studies. Although a difficult switch in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions, she powered through and proceeded to then get her masters in counselor education and school mental health leadership from the University of Virginia. As well as school, Mullen was a part of the lacrosse team at both UVA and Vermont. Although juggling school and lacrosse was difficult, Mullen said, “I’m a firm believer that if you want to do something, you got to make it work,” and she did just that.

When applying for jobs after college, Mullen knew she wanted to work in a school that resembled hers. Her school had many great teachers, as well as students that attended from kindergarten to senior year, and Mullen claimed, “you build so many connections with the teachers, and that was what I was looking for.” And Collegiate fit that description.

Mullen and her new kitten Violet. 

Being an Upper School counselor, Mullen excitedly explained, “has genuinely been such an awesome experience.” Although a recent graduate and one of the younger faculty at Collegiate, Mullen is not concerned about age differences, claiming that when she was younger, “I always gravitated towards talking to adults.” Mullen also talked about how being new is exciting, because, she says, “I’ve enjoyed getting to learn from everyone.”

Although she had a “very unconventional way of getting into counseling,” Mullen has excelled in the field. She is so easy to talk to and somehow makes every conversation flow. She is naturally gifted at talking to people, and I am grateful she found her way to Collegiate. Mullen is ecstatic to be at here and has enjoyed getting involved in clubs and meeting all the teachers and students. On top of being a counselor, Mullen is teaching a portion of Health and Wellness for Freshmen. Mullen is also excited to continue her lacrosse career, helping coach the girls varsity lacrosse team this spring. She believes Collegiate is the place for her to call home and is ready to positively impact the students here.

Photos courtesy of Taylor Mullen.