Well, I come from a racing family. Two of my uncles raced throughout the 80's and early 90's, before I was born. Growing up, my family would celebrate the Daytona 500 as any conventional, American family would celebrate the Super Bowl. I always knew I was going to have something to do with motorsports, but wasn't sure in what way(s) because there were no visible females in the industry when I was younger, from what I can remember.

When I was 6 years old, my family and I took a drive to Lansing to look at a Quarter Midget, which is essentially a go-kart type car with a roll cage. It was instant butterflies the first time I sat in the car to where my parents had to pull me out of the car after sitting in it for an hour. I started racing shortly thereafter. Here we are 21 years later.

I can honestly say I love everything about racing and the business of it, with the exception of the cost - it's so expensive! But, from the speed to the high-level of competition; camaraderie with my team to the travel-heavy schedule; late nights working on the racecars and complexities of how to make the car faster, all play a part in my passion for motorsports.

To add, the off-track efforts to accrue sponsorship dollars and partner with businesses and individuals that not only see the value of the investment, but also their belief(s) in me as a talented racecar driver and my off-track presence and abilities provides a sense of accomplishment with all that I have put in to my career for the past two decades.

Racing can be the most gritty of sports, yet the most rewarding when all goes right. There's so many variables and components that go into winning, but it makes the gratification of being the first one to the finish line even greater. Winning also gives me a greater sense of accomplishment because I'm the team owner and driver so there's so much more that I put in behind the scenes in addition to attending to the roles of being a driver. I just have this pure love and passion for motorsports that I don't foresee it ever not being a large part of my life.

The irony of this question is that I never had any intention of going to law school when I started at Seidman. However, Professor Sanford's Business Law class my Sophomore year completely adjusted my outlook and career trajectory. I literally became obsessed with that class and I am not the type to become fixated with academia.

After that, I was set on going to law school. I started working for The Sam Bernstein Law Firm as an Operations Director after my 2018 GVSU graduation, went for my MBA, began studying for the LSAT, and started law school in Fall 2020.

One aspect of racing/motorsports that has a tendency to be overlooked is the business economics side of it because that plays a crucial role, depending at what level(s) you are competing, into how far and, frankly, how successful you may be within the community.

Being a part of the Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) business fraternity at Seidman allowed me to utilize and apply business acumen that I had already learned and developed throughout my prior experiences in racing and working alongside my entrepreneurial family. Additionally, Professor Dalmia's Gender Economics class was truly life changing and has had a tremendous impact on my perspective and how I go about my mentorship work and professional speaking involvements.

As far as the law field goes, there is ample opportunity for me to work in a business or legal capacity within the motorsports world if and/or when I choose to do so. I feel as if I am already able to apply a lot of what I learned from my university degrees to my racing brand, speaking engagements, and involvement as a founding member of Women in Motorsports North America. When people say life comes full circle, it truly does.  

The different, more objective outlook I inherited as a result of my degree, whether it be knowledge gained from class, interacting with individuals with varying perspectives and learning from them, or simply how to work with people and come to a common ground in order to proceed with a project or decision. Additionally, becoming proficient in Excel has paid off tremendously.

From an academics standpoint, take classes that will be of value to you (aka listen to your advisors). It's counterintuitive and a waste of investment to participate in a course that doesn't align with your goals and/or needs, whatever those may be.

From a life/career standpoint, follow your passion(s) and never give up on them. It is not going to be easy, will require lots of grit and persistence, and there will be times of self-doubt, but it will be the most rewarding choice when all is said and done. The ones who do pursue their greatest interest(s) typically achieve the greatest forms of happiness (utility).

Also, network, network, network. It is often not about what you know or even how much money you have, but who you know.

Overall, I would say my fondest memories from my time at Seidman were with my roommates, who I met through DSP, and the events we planned and hosted through the fraternity. My favorite classes were Business Law, Gender Economics, Intro to Macroeconomics, and any Finance class with Professor Thuy Simpson. I really enjoyed her classes, Professor Dalmia's and Professor Sanford's.

I prefer to describe myself as an accomplished racecar driver, third-year law student, employee at The Sam Bernstein Law Firm, mentor, ambassador, and Contributing Writer for SPEED SPORT magazine.

Throughout my 21-year racing tenure, I have won numerous races, championships, awards, and set records that do not only pertain to my gender, in a diverse portfolio of racecars, and on varying race surfaces.

As a United States Auto Club (USAC) champion, I have carved a name for myself within the open-wheel ranks including, but not limited to, being the youngest female driver to win a sprint car race, becoming the first female to win USAC midget and sprint car races at a multitude of racetracks, being the second female to ever win a USAC championship, having the most USAC Silver Crown starts by a female, and being the first (and only!) female to podium/highest finishing female in USAC’s 51-year Silver Crown history. The latter record I intend to break by winning. 

Over the years, my perspective of the motorsport’s world, and my placement in it, has evolved. I now recognize the power and greater meaning behind being a female in a male-dominated trade. With that, I have made it a personal mission to give back to a sport I am so passionate about by mentoring younger girls interested in racing.

I am also an active member of Women in Motorsports North America, regularly take part in professional speaking engagements regarding women in racing, and am a contributing writer to SPEED SPORT / Sprint & Midget Magazine. Anyone that may be interested in learning more about me and my journey can check-out my website, taylorferns.com, or find me on social media.