Lucas and Connor Taylor are brothers who come from Valparaiso and are currently students in high school and college respectively. The older brother, Connor Taylor, is on the pre-med track at Indiana University Northwest (IUN). His younger brother, Lucas Taylor, attends Valparaiso High School as a junior. The two share a deep bond.
In 2019, Lucas Taylor was diagnosed with simple tachycardia, a condition where the heart beats irregularly fast. His heart functioned then at only 23%. He was going to go in for surgery, but something went awry. Eventually, he got an aortic valve replacement. A pacemaker contributed to his heart’s returning to normal and functioning better at over 50%.
There’s obviously been endless love between the Taylor boys since the moment they first met. Throughout the time Lucas Taylor’s heart function has steadily improved, he’s stayed busy. He chose to keep up with his homework and the other tasks of being a student while experiencing his condition’s complications. It required great fortitude, but most importantly, it gave the brothers the chance to connect even more.
“It was a scary process, being on the outside. I always told him, ‘I’ll assist you in doing homework.’ I would help him, but he’s pretty self-reliant,” Connor Taylor said. “You can’t really fix a heart problem — all you can do is make them feel better about their situation, spreading positivity.”
Both Taylors are hardworking. Connor Taylor has been the recipient of multiple merit-based scholarships and grants. To get one, for instance, he’s had to maintain a grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher for a whole semester. Last year he was nominated for another academic award after receiving a nomination from a teacher.
Lucas Taylor is in the process of looking into which college he’d like to attend shortly. He’s thinking about prestigious schools such as Loyola University Chicago and the University of Michigan, among others. He’ll participate in HOSA, a competition in Indianapolis for those interested in pursuing careers in the medical field, within a few months. The source of inspiration helping to drive him lives in the same house he does.
“I’d say Connor is my biggest influence and a role model. We were recently talking about his classes and the workloads, and it’s interesting to see how that goes. There’s such a good support system I have in him,” Lucas Taylor said.
Connor Taylor’s eyes are set on becoming a doctor down the road. He’s particularly intrigued by cardiology after witnessing what his little brother has dealt with. He’ll either stay on IUN’s campus in Gary to accomplish more or transfer to Bloomington, Indiana, to do so. An integral part of his regular sense of motivation lives under the same roof he does.
“Lucas is definitely my biggest inspiration in life. I think he handles everything in his life like an absolute champion, and that’s inspired me to do better,” Connor Taylor said. “Seeing him do everything that I didn’t do in high school, it’s really something, and it’s a great thing to experience firsthand.”
The two Taylor boys stay busy with school and extracurricular activities. However, they have their leisure time, and the bulk of it is put aside for their respective hobbies. Each of them agree that their first priority is their studies, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t room for some fun. Many of the ways they go about taking advantage of free time overlap and intersect, as they have similar interests.
“For me, I play a lot of video games. In warmer months, I like to swim, and then I’m always at the waterpark or at the pool,” Lucas Taylor said. “We have dogs, and we just got a new one, so I’m always helping and taking care of them. I’m almost their main parent.”
The Taylors’ immediate family is located in the Valpo area, but most of their relatives reside in Illinois. Around the holidays, the boys venture with their parents to their grandma’s house to visit with cousins and the like. Some members are spread throughout the country, though. They’ve gone to reunions in the past, including one which happened in Tennessee last summer.
Nothing tops the Region for the Taylors. It’s where home is, as well as their friends and abounding opportunities. They’ve been here long enough to come to know what they like best about the surrounding neighborhoods and their neighbors.
“One thing that’s great about the Valpo community is that everybody’s so friendly, especially the adults,” Connor Taylor said. “If I end up moving away from Valpo, I’d want to live in a place just like it. It’s a nice community to be a part of.”
Regarding the future, these Taylors are bound to remain diligent and dutiful in their work, enhancing their understanding of their individual purposes. Connor Taylor will continue to tutor students in STEM classes as he makes his way toward his undergraduate graduation. For him and his brother, the sky’s the limit, and both have a lot of blue they want to reach for.
“Right now I’m applying myself, and I’ve already asked a bunch of teachers for evaluations for the National Honor Society. I was awarded the National Merit Scholarship for my GPA, and I’ll work on maintaining that,” Lucas Taylor said.