The Super Bowl, no doubt, is on a lot of people’s minds right now. With the game just a few days away, perhaps none of us is more excited than our own Taylor Scott ’16. Taylor, an Economics and Sport Management double major (with a concentration in sport law) is also on track for a minor in Business. And if that isn’t enough, she says she’s toying with the idea of triple majoring in Managerial Studies but assures me, “it’s not as crazy as it sounds.”

What does all of this mean? For Taylor, a Rice University freshman (yes, just a freshman), it means that, after interning for the past 5 months with the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, she’s now landed a position with the NFL to work at this year’s Super Bowl in Houston, her new home away from home.

“I’ve always loved football,” admits Taylor. “Even when I was just five years old or so, I would welcome any opportunity to play. From a very early age, I enjoyed the organization of sports teams and was interested in coaches and how they picked their players.”

Many of us remember Taylor for her quarterbacking skills as a Red Rhino in Woodlawn’s own Powder Puff games. “It’s kind of fitting that I am now the QB on my residential college’s team this year,” says Taylor. “They figured out I could throw a football and I got the ‘job’! Powder Puff is huge at Rice and provides fun competition on campus.”

And so it only seems fitting that Taylor would be offered an exclusive position at Super Bowl LI and that she will be assisting with the Super Bowl on gameday. “I feel pretty lucky,” says Taylor. “This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

My eyes get wide as I begin to realize that Taylor might be in direct contact with owners, coaches, and players. I have to ask…. Will you get to talk to any of them? Get tickets for any of us? Get signatures and such? She laughs, “Who knows? But as for tickets, I couldn’t even get one for my brother (Zack ’13, Rice ’17).”

It’ll be a busy week for Taylor. “There’s something going on everyday for a week leading up to the game,” she says. “I won’t be sleeping much.”

Plans for after the Super Bowl? “I’ll be taking a break from interning and spend more time enjoying on campus activities with my friends. I’m involved in a number of clubs and organizations such as the Rice Sport Business Society and Rice Rally Club, and am an Associate Justice on my residential college’s court. I will also be playing on my residential college’s soccer and coed flag football teams. On top of that, I’ll be doing a whole lot of schoolwork,” says Taylor. “I have a lot going on but I can definitely say Woodlawn prepared me well. The transition has not been hard at all. Woodlawn teaches you to take notes, be observant, and extract information out of what your teachers are saying. It’s the same thing in college and pretty surprising that a lot of students never had that kind of investment in their education by their high school teachers.”

Favorite Woodlawn Memory: Winning the State Soccer Championship. That’s a huge thing I take with me from my many years at Woodlawn.

Best thing Woodlawn taught you: Be yourself. Be authentic. I never felt the need to be anyone else. It has made my experience at Rice the easiest. Woodlawn gave me the understanding of who I am. I know the difference between right and wrong, and I know what I believe in.

Advice to our class of ’17: Never try to change the fabric of who you are. People just want to get to know you for you. Everyone’s cool in their own way. Be open to experiences and people. That is the best way to transition to college life.

Advice to Woodlawn students: Enjoy every special moment at Woodlawn. You’ll never have this anywhere else so make the most of it. You’ll realize people don’t have Woodlawn experiences — being friends with their teachers for starters! I mean, I go out to lunch and dinner with my Woodlawn teachers when I return home on breaks! Who does that? You know everyone at Woodlawn, you can start any club you want, and you can play any sport you want. Don’t take that for granted!

Favorite Book: Principles of Economics — only because I spent most of my time last semester reading it!

Taylor at 35: Working with a pro team in the NFL, NBA, or MLB. If I can go to work every day doing what I love, it won’t be a job.

Patriots or Falcons? I have to say I’ll go with the Patriots (a hard admission for Taylor, who is a die-hard Cowboys fan).