It’s me! Tayler Onion. For those of you who don’t know me. . . yes, Onion is really my last name (like the vegetable!).
As you might imagine, it's been the source of a few jokes over the years.
Alright, let me peel away the layers (you see what I did there? 😏) to give you a few more details about me.
🧅 I’m a farm kid who grew up in rural Illinois.
🧅 I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (’13 B.S. in Advertising, ’15 M.S. in Sport Management), where I also competed as a volleyball student-athlete and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. During my junior season (2011), we advanced to the NCAA National Championship held in San Antonio, TX.
🧅 Since 2012, I've worked in NCAA Division I Intercollegiate Athletics in Marketing, Development/Alumni Relations, Event Management (University of Illinois), Academic Advising (Western Illinois University, the University of Memphis, and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale), in Student-Athlete Development (University of South Florida), and in Major Gift Fundraising (Western Illinois University).
🧅 These experiences have helped me gain insight into the business side of college athletics, the ins and outs of the student-athlete experience, the landscape of higher education, and leadership program development.
🧅 In August 2018, I began working on my PhD in Higher Education Administration at the University of South Florida while working full-time.
🧅 Playing heavily on the fact that my last name is Onion, I entered Outback Steakhouse’s #BeTheBloom contest and won the chance to be the Bloomin’ Onion Mascot during the third quarter of the 2019 Outback Bowl (see below).
🧅 In May 2019, I was selected as one of 40 women to attend the Women Leaders in College Athletics Institute for Administrative Advancement (West).
🧅 In April 2020, I tapped into my creative side to launch a podcast, The Bloom Pod, where I interview “everyday people chasing big ideas.” Guests on the podcast have covered topics ranging from entrepreneurship to theatre to higher education. With each episode my sidekick, Melissa Lutz, and I hope to use the power of storytelling to create connections and inspire listeners to #KeepBlooming.
🧅 In May of 2021, I left my job working on a college campus and transitioned into a role with a tech company called Game Plan that focused on eLearning and career connections for athletes.
🧅 In December 2022, I graduated from the University of South Florida with a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Higher Education Administration.
🧅 Currently, I serve as the Assistant Athletic Director for Development at Western Illinois University.
