Taylor Villarreal

Taylor Villarreal lost her cousin and aunt to cancer within a couple years of one another, which prompted her to take on leadership roles for the American Cancer Society events in her community. 

“I started as a team member for my high school's Relay for Life team, I then became a team captain, then a member of the RFL of Rockford event leadership team, and most recently I have been the co-chair of the RFL of Rockford event from 2021 to 2024,” she said.

Taylor, a Speech Language Pathologist at Rockford Public Schools, has had several other family members diagnosed with cancer since she started volunteering for ACS.

“This has encouraged me to continue doing what we do to celebrate, remember, and fight back against cancer,” she said.

This is Taylor’s third Taste of Hope.

“It has been awesome to see ACS work in a different light,” she said. “I love being involved with an organization that is working both locally and nationally to put an end to something that we all have been impacted by.”

When not volunteering for ACS, Taylor and her husband Tyler are kept on their toes by their three-year-old daughter Leighton. They love spending time at the lake or doing outdoor activities, as well as traveling and “eating their way” through new cities. She is also a proud Michigan State University grad and Spartan fan.