Taylor Ullman put her focus on earning her master’s degree at Midwestern State University in August 2023, when her husband was transferred to Sheppard Air Force Base.

She realized she could earn her master’s in English at MSU Texas while he was finishing his training and began classes at MSU in January 2024. So she’s not surprised to be walking across the stage at D.L. Ligon Coliseum Friday night as part of the May 2025 Commencement, but Ullman never expected to be giving a speech before the graduates.

“It is a privilege I never considered,” Ullman said. “I've always done well in school, but was usually too quiet to be noticed by more than my English teachers. I still can't quite believe I was chosen for this speech. I see it as an opportunity to get more out of life than what I was given. I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak at commencement.”

Ullman grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, and met her husband, Reagan, at C.E. Byrd High School there. She earned a bachelor's in Secondary English Education and a minor in Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which made her the first person in her family to graduate from college. After graduation, she taught Honors English I and AP English IV for a year in Youngsville, Louisiana. She also taught a year in East Texas while living in Shreveport, but when Reagan transferred to SAFB, she decided it was a great time to pursue her master’s degree.

Her plan is to become an adjunct or assistant professor. This past semester, she was able to research her favorite genre, Romantasy. Her research project was accepted into two different conferences: the Contemporary Women in Writing Conference in Falmouth, United Kingdom, and the 36th Annual American Literature Association in Boston.