After graduating from Maine West High School, Taylor Anama enrolled at Oakton because the Des Plaines campus is close to home, and he knew the commute would be manageable. But his college experience became so much more than an easy commute: it was about building community and growing as a leader. A student employee and president of two student clubs, Taylor’s journey is defined by connection, confidence and personal growth.
Creating connections one delivery at a time
“I’m a student employee for Receiving. I deliver packages, mail and make copies. What I like most about the job is that it gives me the chance to talk with staff and connect with people all over campus. Plus, I get a lot of exercise—my highest step count was around 10,000 in one day. I’ve also learned where everything is, which helps a lot. And when I’m not sure where to go, I’ve learned to ask for help."
Building belonging through leadership
“I’m president of the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and the Diversability Club. With CAB, we’ve planned events like Welcome Week, the turkey and clover hunts, bingo nights and trunk or treat. For the Diversability Club, I became president in fall 2024. We like celebrating birthdays with each member’s favorite donut. I’ve made a lot of friends through the clubs.
At the Spring 2025 Student Leadership Banquet, I won an award from the Board of Trustees [The 2025 Leadership Award]—I was one of only three students to receive it. The Diversability Club also won Club of the Year. I was surprised, but I think we won because we all put in the work as officers.”
Learning, sharing and leading by example
“My favorite class at Oakton was speech, with Professor Christie Carter. I really liked the reality of public speaking—talking in front of the class with our speeches. For my third speech, I talked about my disability, monosomy 18p (18p-), which I was diagnosed with in third grade. I liked that my classmates learned a little bit more about me, about my disability.
The ADRC [Access and Disability Resource Center] helped me with testing accommodations for general education classes like biology, philosophy and math. I even got to help out with an event for them, where high school students came to visit Oakton. I helped with my own high school and saw teachers I knew, including my counselor, Miss Adams. She was excited to see that I’m graduating.”
As Taylor looks into the future, he hopes to continue pursuing his interests in music and web development. “My associate degree gives me more options to find a job that’s right for me,” he said. He also shared some advice for new students: “Get involved with different activities that will give you an opportunity to connect with students and staff. Oakton helped me a lot. It helped me make new friends.”