Charisma Taylor Earns Top Ten Senior Award

By Sue McMurray

Charisma holds WSU records for triple jump and 60m hurdles.

Charisma Taylor, a hospitality business management major and WSU track and field athlete, earned a place among WSU’s top ten seniors in the athletics category. The award recognizes her accomplishments and involvement as a student-athlete.

For more than 80 years, WSU has recognized ten of the top seniors in each graduating class. The WSU Alumni Association selects these women and men who represent the highest standards in specific aspects of the college experience, including academics, athletics, campus involvement, community service, and visual and performing arts.

“The Top Ten senior award means everything to me!” says Taylor. “It also signifies I have made an impact at WSU and am leaving a legacy for future Cougs. I am so honored and blessed to have received this award and couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my college career at WSU.”

Making the jump from home business to franchise

Taylor is a WSU record holder for triple jump and 60m hurdles. She made the NCAA first-team all-American in the triple jump and is the Bahamian national triple jump record holder. She is engaged in a multitude of organizations including serving as a board member and team representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and as treasurer of the Black Student-Athlete Association. She assisted with the Lauren McCluskey Memorial 5km race to support women’s safety on college campuses and volunteers with Food Not Bombs of the Palouse. She also earned the Most Promising Female Athlete Award in 2020. >> Watch video.

Donuts are a popular treat at The Pastry Château.

She is also an entrepreneur and owner of The Pastry Château in Nassau, Bahama.

“I chose to major in hospitality business management because I currently operate an at-home pastry business and intend to continue building it in the near future,” she says. “My WSU degree equips me with financial and other knowledge to succeed in business. One day, my Carson College business training will be the catalyst for achieving my goal of franchising The Pastry Château.”

“WSU’s always going to be in my life”

Arriving from the largest city of the Bahamas, Pullman’s smallness felt alien. But when she met her coaches and people in the community who welcomed her, she says “I got a feeling that I am home.”

“I could see myself making lifelong friendships, graduating, and becoming a better version of myself,” she says. “I’m a very shy person, and my friends have peeled back the layers and helped me break out in a good way.”

After graduating from WSU, Taylor plans to earn a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation from the University of Tennessee. Armed with two more years of track and field eligibility, she will also compete for UT. She also plans to go professional in track and field and has her eyes set on the upcoming Olympics.

“Leaving here is bittersweet,” she says. “WSU’s always going to be in my life, and I’m going to represent the Coug spirit whenever I can.