Published on Show Me Mizzou Aug. 27, 2024
Story by Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06
Leigh Anne Taylor Knight’s Mizzou education began long before she officially became a Tiger. Growing up, she and her family attended 4-H events at Mizzou. “Mizzou Extension educated me many years before I went to college,” she says.
Becoming a Tiger was in her black-and-gold blood, as her parents and several members of her extended family are alumni. When Taylor Knight, BS HES ’89; BS Ed 90; M Ed ’91, arrived on campus, she wasted no time preparing for her future. “As a freshman, I wrote my life’s mission statement: ‘Improve the quality of life for others in their near and far environments,’” she says.
After graduating with degrees in environmental design and secondary education, Taylor Knight stayed true to that mission, serving as a classroom teacher and K–12 assistant superintendent and advising learning institutions across the nation. As executive director and COO of the DeBruce Foundation, a national charitable entity headquartered in Kansas City, Taylor Knight currently helps individuals unlock their potential and explore career possibilities.
Grateful for the guidance she received from mentors, she decided early on to give back by joining the Griffiths Leadership Society, a part of the Mizzou Alumni Association (MAA) that connects women students and alumni for mentorship and networking.
As the new president of MAA, Taylor Knight will continue to build on the leadership legacy she started as a student when she served as a resident assistant, student council president and ambassador for what was then called the College of Human Environmental Sciences, a member of the Homecoming Court and a leader in the Missouri Students Association.
“I got a top-notch education and countless opportunities to develop leadership skills at Mizzou,” Taylor Knight says. “I established a strong foundation thanks to my friends and mentors — and I even met my husband at the Hearnes Center.” In honor of their love for each other and Taylor Knight’s love of the Tigers, the couple celebrated their honeymoon at a Mizzou game in Arizona.
As MAA president, Taylor Knight is excited to give back to the university that gave her so much. “I want students and alumni to be served by MAA’s commitment to amplifying Mizzou, creating a sense of belongingness and advancing Mizzou-made careers,” she says.
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