A friendly face
The first thing you notice when you sit down in a chair in Taylor Lang’s office are the pictures of her dogs on display. She likes to keep home close while she’s away. Even though the image of home is so comfortable, Lang comes to West Essex every day to ensure every kid’s well being.
On a regular school day, anyone can catch Ms. Lang working the day away in her office by the math wing. Becoming a new staff member on the child study team can seem overwhelming, but so far she’s settled in. So much happens behind the scenes that she’s on top of.
“I work with kids with disabilities, I work with kids who need emotional support, or anybody else who needs help in crisis or anything like that,” Lang said. “I do counseling.”
Originally from Middlesex county, Ms. Lang has seen a little bit of everything within the state. Later on, she moved to Hillside, NJ, to live with her husband. That’s where she found a job at Roselle School District for six years. After hearing about a job opening here at West Essex, she would find herself in yet another county of New Jersey.
“Mrs. Lamana who is a school psychologist here, she started here about two years ago, we worked together at Roselle,” Lang said. “She told me that Mrs. White was in this office was retiring. So I put in an application and here I am.”
Her welcoming nature and mellow, sweet voice should speak for itself, but her degrees and long years at schools prove just how committed and dedicated she is. It was clear from the get-go what her career path would be.
“I went to Jersey City University, that was for my undergrad,” Lang said. “And then for my master’s, I went to Rutgers.”
It didn’t matter that she experimented with sociology, psychology and social work, she said; her mind was set on becoming some form of an educator. All the different forms of studies could be overwhelming, but to Ms. Lang, she said, counseling and therapy were her passion.
Sometimes having an undecided future is for the best. This worked to her advantage. Little did Lang know, she would be needed in various positions, which required experience in different fields. Whether it be a helping hand to special ed kids or regular ed kids, she’s always there when needed.
“Because everyone learns differently, but it doesn’t make them any different,” Lang said. “I want them to advocate for themselves and move on to college or work in life and be successful at that. That’s my goal.”