Photo By Senior Airman Zeno Kang | U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Taylor J. Holden, 145th Security Forces Squadron team...... read more read more
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Balancing four passions is no easy task for any one person, not even an Airman. Staff Sgt. Taylor Holden is a defender in the North Carolina Air National Guard, a natural hair stylist, a graduate student and a cadet leader for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical (NC A&T) State University. As each responsibility demands her full commitment, she approaches them as opportunities to overcome.
The story of how she learned to balance her roles began when she enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Holden expressed her goal was to attend college and experience campus life. She shared that when she learned about the Air Force Reserve, she realized that she could pursue her education while being financially supported through it.
After completing her basic military training and technical school at the USAF Security Forces Academy, Holden returned home as a security forces specialist and began her coursework at Cape Fear Community College. She later transferred to the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a minor in criminology.
While in the Air Force Reserve, she expanded her knowledge of law enforcement and tactical operations.
“My experience in security forces shaped my sense of leadership and discipline by showing me that I need to look from different perspectives and be aware of other people’s perspectives,” said Holden. “Not just my own.”
Holden then deployed to Kuwait and began to apply for graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and NC A&T.
Holden decided to enroll with NC A&T and transition to the NC Air National Guard to be closer to her home in Greensboro.
That change allowed Holden to pursue a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management, while also pursuing her passion as a hair stylist.
“I’m still figuring out exactly what I want to do,” said Holden. “If I decide to open a salon, a business degree will help me manage it and if I choose not to work in a salon, I can always pursue a career in human resources.”
Holden has been styling hair since childhood and eventually earned her certification from the Millennium Trade Academy as a licensed natural haircare stylist. Hair styling became a way to support herself through school and invest in her future despite her demanding schedule.
“I enjoy being a hair stylist,” said Holden. “It allows me to invest in myself and in others for the long term.”
While in graduate school, Holden envisions commissioning in the USAF. She hopes to inspire and influence positive change before and after her commission.
“Excellence in all we do is one of our core values,” said Holden. “I feel like that’s something that I still hold within me.”
While balancing all of her passions, she admits exhaustion from the mental shifting between her work and limited personal time. Through the challenging days, she learned to adapt to an ever-changing schedule by planning her weeks in advance, preparing herself the day before and leaning on peers who support her when tasks overlap.
“When times get tough”, said Holden. “Just know that it’s going to be for that time period and it’ll end up changing. Just keep going and don’t be so hard on yourself because we’re all human.”
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.08.2025 16:15 |
| Story ID: | 553425 |
| Location: | NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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