Taylor Shaffer comes from a “Gannon family.” Her older sister is a 2009 alumna, and her eldest brother graduated in 2011. Following suit, Ms. Shaffer enrolled as part of Gannon’s Class of 2015, and was trailed by the attendance of her younger brother, who is a current Gannon student and member of the Class of 2019.
Ms. Shaffer certainly stayed involved during her time at Gannon, adding a vast amount of extracurricular activities to her resume throughout her four years. She was an active member of the Honors Program, Dance Team, Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, University Ambassadors, Order of Omega, Phi Eta Sigma, and Lambda Sigma. In addition, she served as Student Government Association (SGA) President during the 2014-2015 academic year, at which time she was also enrolled in a full course load, taking 21 credits during her final semester.
Additionally, Ms. Shaffer held two part-time positions that added real-life experience to what she was learning in the classroom while pursuing her accounting degree. The first was with the Erie Community Foundation, where she began working after her sophomore year. At the same time, Ms. Shaffer was also employed with Erie’s St. Peter Cathedral School. Both positions offered her hands-on experience and strengthened her skill set.
Many students would struggle to continue to perform well in the classroom if given the schedule Ms. Shaffer had. However, this was not the case for this shining alumna. Taylor managed to make the Dean’s List every semester during her time at Gannon. In recognition of her achievements, she was selected as the recipient of a variety of awards including the Saint Catherine Medal in May 2013, Student Government Association Bruno Sacchitti Award in April 2014, and the PICPA Award, Gannon’s senior accounting award, in May 2015.
Upon her graduation in the Spring of 2015, Ms. Shaffer secured a position on the assurance staff of Ernst & Young, an international public accounting firm in Pittsburgh, PA. Although she is no longer in Erie, Ms. Shaffer is still very involved with the University. She has returned to campus twice to give presentations to current students and additionally is a director on the National Alumni Board.
When asked to give advice to current students, Ms. Shaffer offered the following: “Take any opportunity you are presented with, whether in the classroom or community.”
(Published July 2016)