Service Above Self: Meet the Taylors
Photo Credit: Karen Presecan Photography
Did you know that you have a generational trailblazer living in your neighborhood? Let me introduce you to Cherice Taylor. Cherice, her husband Eric, and her four boys, Aaron (24), Christopher (19), Johnathan (19), and Nicholas (18) currently call Stafford home.
The Taylors are Virginia transplants. They arrived in Virginia following a tour in Puerto Rico to attend Command and Staff College at Quantico. What they thought was a year tour has turned into 20 years in Stafford, Virginia.
Cherice and Eric first met in Los Angeles, California at a First Friday event. Cherice said she knew when she saw him that he was, “my forever love.”
Although born at an Air Force base in Montana, where her dad, Detroit Flanagan, Jr. was stationed, she was raised in Los Angeles from the age of two years old. Cherice attended UCLA where she received her bachelor’s degree in Spanish followed by a master’s in education administration at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
She was a Spanish teacher at John C. Fremont High School, as well as other middle and elementary schools over a period of 9 years.
To supplement her teacher’s income, Cherice became a Mary Kay Beauty consultant. She was a consultant for 30 years and a director for 5 years. Cherice’s mother was the first Black consultant in the state of California in 1967 and the first Black sales director in Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Eric and Cherice planned on her being a stay-at-home mom when they had children, which she did for about 10 years.
During her time in Virginia, she taught Spanish at the Merit School on Garrisonville Road and was a substitute teacher for Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS).
Volunteering was and is a passion for Cherice. She was actively engaged in her children’s school and one of the school division’s advisory committees, which led to the opportunity to work as the Community Engagement Coordinator and Manager for SCPS for a few years.
Cherice is also a Charter member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Psi Psi Omega chapter that represents Stafford and Fauquier counties. Through her chapter’s community engagement, Cherice has participated in food drives, mentorship programs for middle school students, scholarship programs for high school students, and supporting the communities’ senior citizens.
She just finished her term as the President of the Rotary Club of Stafford. The mission of the organization is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Cherice is currently the center director of the Sylvan Learning of Stafford, Fredericksburg, and King George. As if being a director and volunteer leader wasn’t enough, Cherice is also the co-owner of Cookies4Swag LLC. A joint business venture she has with her sister Dana Flanagan-McBeth and her cousin Christal Smith.
The apple does not fall far from the tree when you look at Cherice’s sons.
Aaron (24) graduated from the University of Virginia, class of 2020. He is now currently a software engineer at eBay. He also volunteers at his local observatory. When he’s not working or volunteering, he is working on his music. His website is https://soundcloud.com/isydia.
Christopher (19) is a rising junior at George Mason University majoring in Computer Science. He is currently a Deep-Sea Associate at SERCO. He is the treasurer on the GMU VEX Robotics team. He is also a musician and plays the piano in his free time.
Johnathan (19) is a rising junior at Virginia Tech and is majoring in Business Information Technology. He is the director of special events for the Black Student Alliance and the corporate sponsor chair for Pamplin’s Undergraduate Mentoring Program at Virginia Tech. He is currently a business analyst intern at Capitol One.
Nicholas (18) recently graduated from North Stafford High School, the “World's Greatest High School.” While in high school, he was the class reporter for his senior class, a member of the superintendent’s student advisory committee, captain of the track team, and a volunteer with Psi Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the Rotary Club of Stafford. He will attend Loyola Marymount University this fall majoring in Marketing.
Being in a neighborhood that is slightly tucked away has made a great home to raise the Taylor boys. Cherice really felt the support of her neighborhood when her husband was deployed to Iraq. At the time she was at home with 3 boys in diapers and one second grader. It’s a community that really looks out for one another and the children.
Her neighborhood really encompasses what it means when they say, “It takes a village.”
Some of her favorite activities include the community yard sales and the annual summer and holiday parties. It’s a great time for the neighbors to get together.
A special message from Cherice to her neighbors,
“I love our neighbors! Thank you for being awesome and friendly. Park Ridge has been a great neighborhood to raise our boys. We’ve made many, many lifelong friendships that are greatly appreciated.”
For more information on the organizations Cherice is involved in and her business, please follow the following links:
