When students graduate high school, they’re often told to “do what you love.” Taylor (Templeton) Avalos took that to heart. Fourteen years after graduating, she’s had a career working in boutique fashion with her best friend and is now enjoying life as a stay-athome mom.
Avalos graduated from Dublin High School in 2010, and went on to Tarleton for two years, then Weatherford College for another year, but didn’t finish. “There was just nothing I was passionate about,” she said.
Avalos’ best friend Bayli Johnson’s family owned Twisted J Boutique in Stephenville, and Avalos began working there in 2012. She helped with the storefront and fulfilling online orders.
“I liked just getting to work with different clothes,” she said. “We got to go to markets and see all the new fashion, and we got to order stuff and put stuff on display. And helping people come and pick out clothes was always really fun.”
While working there, she completed dental assistant school.“I’d always enjoyed going to the dentist as a kid,” she said. “I know that’s kind of weird. I just decided to pursue that. School was a lot of fun, but since I already had a job at Twisted J that was a really good job for me, I decided to stay there instead.”
In 2016, Avalos married Sam Avalos, who she met through mutual friends at Tarleton. He now works as a firefighter and paramedic.
Avalos stayed in her job at Twisted J until 2018, when she and her husband moved to Josephine, Texas, northeast of Dallas, to be closer to her husband’s job.
“We love it here,” she said. “It’s a small town. It’s growing a lot, but it still has that small town feel. That’s why we picked Josephine, because we’re obviously both from small towns, so we wanted to have our kids in a small town.”
In 2019, Avalos had her first child, Samuel. Two years later she had Hank. She enjoys working as a stay-athome mom. “Right now, my kids are five and three, so only one is in school full time,” she said. “My three-year-old goes to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so most of the time it’s me and him at home.”
She doesn’t have much free time, but that’s okay with Avalos. “In the season of life that I am, everything is kind of about my kids,” she said. “When I do get free time, I just try to either pick up around my house, or just have a relaxing day for just me, and not do too much, just kind of decompress from being a mom.”
Avalos’ own mother has been a great source of inspiration in her life. “She’s just an amazing mother and person, and if I can be just a little bit like her, then I would be doing great,” Avalos said.
To future Dublin graduates, Avalos offers the same advice she took to heart when she graduated. “Do what makes you happy,” she said. “If college isn’t the route you want to go, that’s okay. College is not for everybody; just do what you’re passionate about and what you have a love for.”
Editor’s Note: This column chronicles what Dublin graduates have done since high school. If you have any suggestions for other grads, email publisher@dublincitizen.com.