Taiylor Horn, the new administrative assistant at Milford Elementary School, decorates the front office for the fall season. Horn joined the staff on Sept. 16 and enjoys interacting with the students. Photo by Lilli Dwyer.

By Lilli Dwyer
InkFreeNews

MILFORD — Milford Elementary School has a fresh face in the front office this year.

Taiylor Horn officially joined the staff as administrative assistant to Principal Michael Casey Sept. 16. After a training period with former longtime secretary, Beth Banghart, Horn is prepared to take on the challenges of helping an elementary school to run smoothly.

Originally from Mishawaka, Horn is a Penn High School graduate, the oldest of five siblings and a former show choir performer. She moved to the Milford area three years ago with her boyfriend, Doug Hepner, before giving birth to her daughter, Wrenle.

Wrenle is now 2 years old and “she’s starting to get a personality,” said Horn. “As soon as the day starts, she’s ready to go. … She’s getting into the ‘everything’s mine’ phase; we’re working on sharing.”

Horn is no stranger to administrative work, as before moving to Milford she worked in surgery scheduling at Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

“I loved my job, but seeing and hearing about medical stuff and things that went wrong, especially with kids, it didn’t effect me very well. So, I wanted to find something a little different,” she recalled.

At Milford Elementary, one of her primary responsibilities is serving as a communicator between the school and parents. That includes fielding lots of emails and phone calls, as well as managing calendars and sending out the school newsletter every month.

“It’s a learning process. I like seeing how everything runs, how the school works,” she remarked.

Horn found herself somewhat surprised by how multifaceted her position is, being the one to keep track of attendance records, make sure the school is stocked with office supplies and order buses for field trips.

“Things you have to order, or taking attendance, I’ve just never had to do any of that stuff. … You have your toes dipped in everything. I like it, though, it keeps me busy,” she said.

She is also in charge of handing out prizes for students who earn Gotcha slips, Milford Elementary’s awards for especially good behavior.

Horn’s favorite part of the job overall is interacting with the students.

“I think I’ve always been a kindhearted, kind of a soft person, but becoming a mom has made that even more so,” she explained. “I like having the kids stop by the office and say ‘hi;’ it’s a really good feeling, although it makes me miss my own daughter, too. … As time goes on, I hope a lot more kids will come in.”

In her spare time, Horn enjoys crafts, like making bracelets and decorating door signs with her Cricut machine. She also likes boating and fishing with her family, bonfires, and watching movies with friends.