Educator to be Honored with College’s Legacy Award at MLK Breakfast

Kym Taylor, an African American Parent Involvement Specialist for Moreno Valley Unified School District, will be honored with the Moreno Valley College’s Legacy Award at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Breakfast & Scholarship Ceremony.

The Breakfast, one of three the College holds yearly, will be held on January 19 from 7:30-9:30 am at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. Tickets are $65 for general attendees and $50 for enrolled students and can be purchased from the Admissions & Records office in the Welcome Center at the campus. Sponsorship opportunities also remain available by contacting the Riverside Community College District Foundation Office at (951) 222-8626.

The 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast & Scholarship Ceremony will celebrate 11 years of supporting the achievement of high school and college students, social justice and the community.

Taylor, who has lived in Moreno Valley for nearly 40 years, was nominated for the award by Micki Grayson, director of the Office of TRIO Programs at Moreno Valley College.

“I nominated Kym Taylor because she has been an advocate for youth in the community and has helped shape generations,” Grayson said. “Taylor's life poignantly answers a question posed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — ‘What are you doing for others?'”

Taylor came to Moreno Valley in 1985 and was a member of the inaugural graduating class of Canyon Springs High School in 1989. After graduating, Taylor attended San Diego State University, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She went on to earn two master’s degrees in instructional and curriculum design educational counseling from National University.

After completing her studies, Taylor returned to Moreno Valley Unified School District in 1995 to teach. For nearly 30 years, Taylor has served as an educator, both in and out of the classroom. She initially taught at Chaparral Hills Elementary School before moving to Badger Springs Middle School, and then Vista del Lago High School. After teaching for eight years, Taylor moved into an educational counseling position at Valley View High School. Being a guidance counselor opened the doors for her to receive her Marriage and Family Therapist degree from California Baptist University.

Taylor is also one of the co-founders of MVUSD's African American Advisory and African American Parent Advisory councils. In addition to helping students and families locally, she was part of the Riverside County African American Strategic Initiative to author the first blueprint for the County that has since been used as a model throughout the state. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where she serves as first vice president and scholarship chair for her chapter.

“For the past 25 years, Taylor has championed student development and leadership opportunities for local Black youth in the community and throughout the Inland Empire region,” Grayson said. “A student leader in Moreno Valley's Black Student Union when she was growing up, Taylor wanted to give local youth the same opportunity to connect with mentors and leaders. “She was not satisfied with only working with students at the schools where she worked, she wanted to expand the reach and started coordinating annual Black student conferences to help students learn about student advocacy and service. She has given countless hours of her time and financial resources to host these educational and student development opportunities. Taylor, literally, has impacted generations in Moreno Valley, the Inland Empire, and beyond. This is not something she does, it is simply who she is.”

In addition to honoring Taylor, attendees will enjoy the Spoken Word by Candace Norton, a Moreno Valley College student; music from saxophonist J. Boykin; and words from Saul Lankster, III, an Army Veteran who was arrested as a ‘foot soldier’ in the historic civil rights marches that gripped the nation and a Congressional Gold Medal honoree.