Family Ties
The Taylor twins have more in common than the way they look

by Nick Steyn

Meet Elaine and Kari Taylor, and it becomes hard to imagine them apart.

Three years after graduating from USC’s College of Mass Communications and Information Studies with public relations degrees, the twins share a house in the Columbia area and work for their alma mater.

Elaine is assistant development director for the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, and Kari directs student programs for the Carolina Alumni Association.

“We love driving to work every day and remembering the special memories of our time on campus as students," Kari said.

"It is surreal when we think about going to classes here just a few years ago." But working for their alma mater, she said, "is a perfect match.”

The sisters’ bond has helped keep them together. After joining the college in 2005, Elaine heard about a position in the Alumni Association and told her sister about it. On the strength of her interview and credentials, as well as Elaine's recommendation, Kari joined her sister at the university once again.

Both jobs focus on strengthening USC's alumni presence.

Elaine says hers is "a perfect fit. " Her responsibilities at the college include developing the Alumni Society, which she helped launch in fall 2005. She is working with the society to start a mentoring program and publish a newsletter.

“I get to find and meet alumni, learn about what they do, what they remember most about their time at USC and how they want to get involved with what we’re doing here. I also get to work with the faculty and staff of the college, as well as our current students," she said. "It’s exciting, challenging and fun – three traits that I hope to always have in my job."

Kari coordinates student programs sponsored by the Alumni Association, including student membership, the Garnet Circle Student Alumni Council and the Senior Connection. Her work with students and graduates helps the department cultivate ties early.

“We want to give students the opportunity to get involved while they are still in school.  If a relationship is initiated with students, they are more likely to value the Alumni Association and its importance after graduation as they seek a connection to USC,” she said.

Dean Charles Bierbauer of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies says much of their success in their work can be attributed to their attachment to their alma mater.

“They care about the jobs they do with the alumni because they cared about being students here,” Bierbauer says. “As alumni, they bring a level of enthusiasm, and they know what it is that we do here. Most alumni are loyal to their alma mater, and Elaine and Kari prove this true.”

They were born in Tennessee but grew up in Lexington, S.C. They remained close throughout school and shared some of the same friends while also pursuing individual interests. Elaine was a cheerleader and swimmer. Kari was a basketball and volleyball player. Both ran track.

When it came time to choose a college, the two decided they were Carolina bound.

“We went to high school with a lot of different sets of twins, and some of them wanted to go to college at separate schools. We knew that we didn’t want to be separated,” Kari said.

Academic choices, especially the journalism school, also were important to their decision, Elaine said.

“We both knew that we wanted to work with people in some way, shape or form," she said. "We knew that if we wanted to get into the communication field that this was a good place to start.”

It didn’t hurt to enter college with a friend at their side. The girls became roommates, took the same classes and shared books. They even chose the same major and minor: public relations and business.

“I don’t know if they’re one of those sets of twins that communicate telepathically and finish each other’s sentences, but to have them both working in the same area shows that there’s some intangible bond that’s there,” Bierbauer said. “It’s nice, it’s novel, but above all, it’s effective.”

After graduation in 2003, the women planned to live within three hours of home. They applied for jobs in South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia and ended up working at different places. But, Kari said, "We knew that those jobs would prepare us for where we wanted to be in our careers.”

She accepted a job in a bank, and Elaine went to work with an insurance company. Each moved to other jobs before landing at USC.

“I was working at EdVenture Children’s Museum,” said Elaine, “and my boss ended up going to USC as the director of development for the college, and this position opened while she was here. She got my foot in the door, and the rest is history.”

Now the Taylors are never far away from the university or each other. They share a tie with South Carolina that they will not let go and have found joy in working with the students and alumni of the school. Most importantly, they still can live together as sisters and roommates – at least until Kari gets married this summer.

“I know that Kari and I will always be connected,” Elaine says. “And, we’ll always have ties to the university.”

Nick Steyn, author Nick is a graduate student in the print journalism program. He is originally from New Jersey and holds a degree in creative writing from Richard Stockton College. His writing interests include sports, business and health communications. Doug Fisher, Heather Nye, editors