Taylor Haugen Trophy Winners – Where Are They Now? (part 3)

You’ve been waiting for it … and here it is! Our very first four Taylor Haugen Trophy winners! Let’s take a look at where they are at now and how they are doing in 2022.

Haley Jones, 2013 Trophy Winner

Jones graduated from Baker High School in 2013 where she played basketball and volleyball. She went on to the University of West Florida to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2017.

She and her husband, Cody, who is a pharmacist for Publix, have two children, Quinn and Callahan. They also have two Australian Shepherd pups, Smokey and Bandit. They both recently purchased a travel trailer camper and have enjoyed all their travels as a family. Her extracurriculars mostly revolve around her children. Quinn is a spunky gymnast, and Callahan enjoys riding his electric motorcycle. She also enjoys getting lost in a good book, playing video games with her kids or sitting on the beach during her time off. She serves on the Mission Council within the Ascension organization that works to integrate its mission values and faith into its work through multiple community outreach projects throughout the year.

After obtaining her RN license, Jones began her career as a Medical-Surgical nurse at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach. She has since been there for five years where she has held leadership roles such as nurse preceptor and Charge Nurse. Now, she is the Med Surg RN Supervisor. She especially loves the population of patients she gets to work with as well as the amazing nurses on her staff. Med Surg is not an easy place to work, she said, but she takes great pride in the quality of care the nurses on her unit provide. She also greatly enjoys working and growing graduate nurses and helping them reach their own nursing goals, whether that be advancing through leadership or moving on to more specialty units. She is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, so she’s taking the lemons she is given in life and making lemonade along the way.

“Winning the Taylor Haugen Trophy was the greatest achievement of my teenage years,” Jones said. “To be singled out that way amongst my peers was so humbling and encouraging. I wouldn’t believe it happened if it weren’t for the trophy that sits on my shelf in my bedroom.”

Her favorite memories with the Foundation would have to be being starstruck by all the collegiate and professional athletes she got to meet during the process. She explains the Foundation as the gift that keeps on giving because every year, she and the rest of the award winners get back together to select the next year’s winner and celebrate their accomplishments while also catching up. She said it feels so much like a family reunion.

When asked about what “Don’t Quit. Never Give Up!” means to her, she explained that it has a different meaning to her now versus at the time of being selected for the award. “The challenges and adversity you face as a teenager in high school are significantly different than those you face as an adult, in a world where the people you encounter will be and think very differently than you,” Jones said. “To me now, it means simply to never waver from your faith. The things I have experienced as an adult now have taught me to learn when things get hard, the worst thing you can do is depend on anything other than God to guide you through the storms of life.”

Jones’ favorite verse currently is 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we live by faith, not by sight.” She said that working in healthcare through the last five years and through the pandemic, her eyes alone could not carry her faith. She had to fall back on the faith that God was working in all things, no matter how much tragedy, loss and defeat she may have experienced. On her darkest days, she can find peace in the fact that God is still working behind the scenes, even if she cannot see Him.

As far as advice she would give to someone younger who wants to grow in their relationship with Christ, she said to surround yourself with Christian friends to support you and encourage you, but also don’t be afraid to befriend those who may not be believers. Jesus put himself in the middle of those that others looked down on, showed them love and compassion, and then those people in return spread God’s word because of the things Jesus did for them.

“If you only stay in your comfort zone, you are missing out on great opportunities to show God’s love,” she said. “We are called to love others, and there is an insane amount of people in the world that are in great need of God’s love.”

Collin Myrick, 2012 Trophy Winner

Myrick studied Biomedical Sciences at Auburn University before getting his Doctor of Dental Surgery at University of Texas School of Dentistry.

He is a newlywed, so he loves to travel with his wife Blaize. Some of his personal hobbies include playing golf and jumping at any opportunity to play a new course or connect with friends over a round.

Myrick gets to live his dream every day by spending his life practicing dentistry in a community he loves. Today, he gets to practice dentistry in the area he’s always called home – DeFuniak Springs Family Dental is truly his opportunity to live his dream to the fullest.

“Winning the Taylor Haugen Trophy was an incredible honor in my life. I still remember hearing the news of Taylor’s tragic passing. As I developed throughout high school, the Taylor Haugen Trophy always stood out as the culmination of a faith-filled, well rounded high school experience,” he said. “The best memories are the family aspects of the trophy. You’re not just a scholarship recipient, you’re a member of a family.”

“Don’t Quit. Never Give Up!” means steadfastness, faithful endurance and a pursuit of the Lord’s call on Myrick’s life. Much of his life has been pushing through injuries or working harder than the competition. In this season, T’s motto looks more like leading and loving the people around him well, working to look more like Jesus in his interactions with those around him and humbly seeking Christ when he falls short.

Myrick’s favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” Life in Christ is one of great assurance. He doesn’t promise we’ll be rich or famous, but He does promise a future. Being a child of Christ is a treasure far greater than rubies or diamonds, and hope and a future in Christ is far greater than this world could ever offer.

Myrick says it is important to surround yourself with a community of believers who want good things for you. Isolation is a tough place for Christians because we were made to be members of a body– the church. So, find a place to plug in, share your burdens and help others carry theirs in your walk with Christ.

Shannon Gerow, 2010 Trophy Winner

Gerow graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University for her undergraduate nursing degree and then attended Indiana Wesleyan University for her Master’s in Nursing. She enjoys paddle boarding, traveling and cooking; and she serves at her church in the women’s and children’s ministry. She is currently a nurse practitioner and the Director of Clinical Services at a cognitive testing company. 

“This trophy is truly unique because of Taylor’s legacy and the amazing family this award represents,” she said. “I remember the surprise of receiving the trophy, and it will always be a huge honor for me.”

Her favorite Bible verse is 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.” This verse is so special to her faith and has always been encouraging to her. She tries to remember this when she has a lot on her mind and needs to bring it all to God in prayer. 

“I try to remember T’s legacy in the many life circumstances that require endurance,” she said. “Taylor personified grit, a trait of passion and perseverance that dictates how we respond to challenges in life. I try to emulate that attitude in my work, family life, and endurance sports.”

One aspect of faith that has made a significant difference in her life is a daily commitment to seeking God. Spending time reading God’s Word and in prayer has been a large part of centering her life around Christ since high school.

Caisson Vickery, 2009 Trophy Winner

Vickery graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School in 2009 before graduating from the University of Florida in 2014. He played soccer and ran cross country and track in high school, and he was involved with intramurals and city leagues in college. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Biology..

Vickery married his wonderful wife Laura back in 2015, and they have been in Gainesville ever since. They just bought a home, so a good portion of his time now is focused on performing upgrades and making it into a wonderful place to live and serve the Lord through hosting people. He and his wife lead a community group at their church and have helped with outreach to young professionals. His home is always full of people coming over for Bible studies, dinner parties and game nights. His personal hobbies are reading, writing, playing his guitar and running. 

He is currently the manager of the communications division of the ShandsCair Flight Program, which is a specialty flight transport program associated with Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. They have helicopters and ambulances stationed all across the state and into some parts of Alabama. He plans on remaining at Shandscair and helping the organization expand and continue to serve the community and the state. He and his wife look forward to also serving their Gainesville community for the long term and starting a family at some point.

Winning the Taylor Haugen Trophy in 2009 meant a lot to Vickery at the time, but the meaning has only grown in every year since. He said this accomplishment is not as much winning an award but instead being welcomed into a family that gets a new brother or sister every year. He has so many great memories getting to know new members at welcome barbecues and is excited to be able to continue getting to know the Foundation family. 

“Due to the attributes that the foundation supports and that the trophy represents, every new winner is an amazing person that loves the Lord and others around them and wants to give back to God, family, friends and the community,” he said. “Being the oldest trophy winner has been a really unique opportunity to get to see every step of the journey and see how awesomely God has worked in everyone’s lives.”

Throughout Vickery’s adolescence, he suffered from chronic migraine headaches that were debilitating and often left him unable to participate in school, sports and all the other endeavors that he enjoyed and wanted to put his time toward. This culminated in college when he had to drop out of school for multiple semesters to pursue treatment. He was able to return and graduate, and he can thankfully now say that he is migraine free, but this obstacle certainly taught him a great deal of lessons. 

“No matter how smart, talented or successful you are or even how firm of a plan you have in life, there will always be challenges bigger or stronger than you are,” he said. This all ties back to T’s saying o f “Don’t quit. Never give up!” and how it relates so strongly to faith. It is much more than determination and hard work. It is all about faith in God, trusting in His strength rather than your own, and trusting that the plan God has for you is going to be one of growth, joy and love. Everyone fails, and life will never go as we plan it ourselves, but no matter how dark the times may seem, with God watching out for us, we should never have a reason to quit or give up. 

One of Vickery’s favorite Bible verses is Psalm 73:26: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Faith in God is not a one time decision; it is a daily walk and struggle. This verse is one of his favorites to quote to himself daily to encourage him in his efforts to keep his focus on the Lord. He strives to make sure to live such that God is not a big “part” of his life but so that he sees that life and the world as a whole is all God’s and he gets to play a part in God’s story.

“You are young and have the opportunity to start living how you want to in life to serve God,” he said. “This doesn’t just mean praying or reading your Bible daily but can also mean learning a sense of taking joy in the Lord and what he has given you. It can mean creating habits of using your time to serve others. It can mean getting used to being selfless and serving others rather than accidently falling into a habit of seeing the world only how it affects you.” 

When trying to surround His life around the Lord, he says it is so important to center his life around having good habits and good community. Every day is a new chance to become the person you want to be, and it is critical to start developing Christ-like habits early. Secondly, community is key. We were never meant to walk the path alone, so having brothers and sisters in Christ that share the same joy and goals to walk beside and share burdens with is critical to endurance and lasting success. Surround yourself with a supportive family in Christ, so you have the energy to pour out and serve others in ways that use your spiritual gifts. 

And there you have it folks, our Taylor Haugen Trophy winners! We are so proud of all of their accomplishments and are excited to continue seeing them blossom each and every year!