2023 Alumni Awards: Eddie Taylor (BioChem, Math '12) - Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate

Eddie Taylor (BioChem, Math '12)
Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award
When Eddie Taylor stepped atop Mount Everest in May 2022 after years of planning and training, he celebrated a much greater accomplishment than reaching the top: He just had helped double the amount of Black climbers to ever reach Everest’s summit.
Eddie was a member of the Full Circle climbing team, which was composed of 10 other Black climbers who raised more than $800,000 for the historic expedition. The team’s accomplishment was featured in USA Today, Outside magazine, National Geographic and CNN.
“They made it to the top of the world - while also making history,” declared a USA Today article after Eddie and six other Full Circle team members reached the summit.
Eddie, a former CU decathlete, was approached by Phillip Henderson, the leader of the
Full Circle team, while ice-climbing in Ouray.
“It was his drive and passion for mountaineering that made him a great fit for the team,” said Henderson.
While the experience on Mount Everest was memorable for Eddie, there’s one thing that has always remained a top priority for him: his students. A former water chemist, Eddie realized teaching was his calling after he began coaching track at Broomfield High School. He received his master’s degree in education from Regis University and took a position teaching science at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado, where he also serves as head track coach.
When Phillip originally asked him to join the Everest team, Eddie was hesitant to leave during the last few weeks of the spring semester and miss his graduating seniors. His wife convinced him to go.
“Eddie's climbing accomplishments are clearly deserving of attention, but we should also celebrate the work that he does each and every day as a teacher, coach and role model for students at Centaurus High School,” said Daniel Ryan, principal at Centaurus High School. “His example is inspiring the next generation to challenge themselves and find success.”