Taylor Latham ’17

Latham Family Competes on ‘Family Feud’

Fans of the Fox game show “Family Feud” may have noticed a familiar face last spring when 2017 alumna Taylor Latham and her family were contestants. In the summer of 2019, she auditioned for the show in Washington, D.C., with her cousin Justin, father Dean, uncle Donald and brother-in-law Jimmy. Thousands of other families had the same idea. “We made sure to be loud and bring a lot of energy during our audition so that we would stand out!” said Taylor, who

The Latham family’s first episode aired May 4, 2021 on Fox, but you can catch snippets of their appearances on YouTube by searching the titles below:

The Latham family wins Fast Money and the final game:

BANG! Jimmy smashes

Fast Money! | Family Feud

Funny “Thanksgiving bird” answers:

Steve Harvey loses his mind over Donald’s

answer! | Family Feud graduated from Randolph-Macon College in 2021 and now works as a business recruiter in Arlington, Virginia.

Their enthusiasm worked because, after months of waiting, they got the call in September 2020 to fly out to Atlanta for the taping. The Latham team dominated on set! They won all five of their games, plus two “fast-money” speed rounds, earning them cash and a car totaling over $67,000. “The entire process was unforgettable!” Taylor said. “We had such a wonderful time as a family and enjoyed getting to meet other families as well! It was also exciting to see all that goes into filming and producing a game show.”

Each episode is about 22 minutes long but takes about 90 minutes to tape. After each round, Taylor said, there is a quick break and the host, Steve Harvey, schmoozes with the contestants.

Host Steve Harvey with the Latham family (from left: Dean, Taylor, Donald, Jimmy and Justin) on the set of “Family Feud”

The Latham Family developed a St. Mary’s Ryken Campus Ministry scholarship in honor of Lauren Latham, a 2005 graduate of SMR.

The Lauren Latham Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 in memory of Lauren, who was a 2005 graduate of St. Mary’s Ryken. In 2021 the scholarship was refocused to provide assistance to individuals seeking to further their spiritual life on retreat or through service-learning experiences. Lauren was someone who embodied the Xaverian principle “falling in love with the service of God” as she was planning to dedicate her life to serving others in the field of social work. Lauren’s sisters Britney ’07 and Taylor ’17 are also SMR alumni. “This fund helps St. Mary’s Ryken students in need of financial assistance to attend a spiritual retreat or service/mission trip,” said Erica “Rickie” Latham, Lauren’s Mom. “In recognition of the goal to “educate the whole person,” St. Mary’s Ryken’s retreats and service work are essential to the formation of young people. Lives are deeply impacted and changed through these experiences. Through this scholarship program, the Latham family hopes that through this small gesture, participants’ lives are enriched, as they are motivated to serve God by sharing their blessings.”