Taylor Gucciardo graduated from Gillespie High School (GHS) in 2010, earning the Jean Fite Memorial Scholarship. She used the $500 award at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE).

Taylor majored in accounting at SIUE and graduated in 2014.

“While in my last year at SIUE, I interned at World Wide Technology,” she says. The company is currently ranked 28th on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For,” which influenced her decision to accept a full time position there as a project accountant after graduation. Her responsibilities included setting budgets, financial analytics, and forecasting and reporting on project financials.

“In January 2017, however, I changed jobs and now work for the family business, Gucciardo CPAs” at its Edwardsville location, she reports. “My current title is tax accountant with my responsibilities including bookkeeping, payroll, and individual tax returns. Living and working in Edwardsville has been great. Plus I get to bring my dog Kona to work with me!” she says.

In her free time, Taylor enjoys “riding my horse, Doc, playing coed soccer, and spending time with Kona. In the future I would like to stay in the Edwardsville area, working for Gucciardo CPAs and continuing to grow our newest location.”

Reflecting on the importance of education, Taylor says, “I think post-secondary education is only becoming more vital in the workforce. Not only did I learn necessary accounting skills, I learned other problem solving skills that have helped me in my daily activities.”

As to The Partnership scholarship, she says: “When paying for college, any help was greatly appreciated. I hope that The Partnership is able to continue to support students like me.”

Taylor is the daughter of Bob and Gina Gucciardo of rural Plainview.