Testimonial: Taylor Killam
Azalea Trail Maids have always been girls that I have looked up to. They represent grace and hospitality that I believed only special people were able to achieve. The thought of becoming a trail maid did not come to me until after I became a Semmes Camellia Maid. With that being said, I had little to no confidence that being an Azalea Trail Maid was possible for me, but I knew I wanted to try.
Considering I did not come from a history of trail maids or have any knowledge of what to study, my mother signed me up for one-on-one classes with Mrs. Ashley. At our first meeting, I was nervous and thought I was hiding it well. However, I quickly realized Mrs. Ashley is a magician at reading people and I could not get anything past her. We spent several weeks preparing and learning everything I needed to know to be successful in an interview.
Ashley’s annual mock interviews were probably the scariest part of the preparation process, but she more than prepared me for them. I felt confident in my abilities and left feeling much more prepared for my actual interview that was coming up.
Shortly after our mock interview, Ashley and I went on the best shopping trip I’ve ever had to find an outfit for me to wear to my county interview. Funnily enough, I realized on that trip that the judge that had made me the most anxious during my mock interview was her lovely mother! It was so much fun sharing the day with Ashley, her mom, and my mom and I felt so confident in the outfit we chose (plus the extra ones we decided to get too).
Not only was Ashley’s guidance perfect, but I am deeply grateful for all of the ways she went above and beyond to make me feel worthy of this position. She is the kindest, most thoughtful, and one of the funniest people I have ever met and I am so glad to call her a friend. I truly could not have earned my ruffles without my biggest hype woman and can not wait to share all of my Azalea Trail adventures with her!
