REMEMBERING MAGGIE

Maggie Taylor Mial left us unexpectedly at 33 years old on April 23rd in Los Angeles, California, where she was living and working at that time. Maggie was born in Roanoke, Virginia, to Katie Gailes and Larry Mial. She relocated to the Triangle Region of North Carolina at age two and was educated in the Wake County public school system. In her formative years, Maggie was active in theater and dance, studying at the North Carolina Dance Institute and performing with the Enloe High School theater group, Theater in the Park’s A Christmas Carol, North Carolina Theater, and the North Carolina Theater Conservatory. She earned a spot in the prestigious North Carolina Governor’s School summer program after her junior year in High School. She also studied and taught in the Broadway Theater Project in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from Enloe High School in Raleigh, Maggie earned acceptance to Elon University’s Music Theater Program.

After graduating from Elon, Maggie continued to perform in independent projects in New York and as a member of Norwegian Cruise Line’s show cast until she found a passion for bar and hospitality venue management. At the time of her death, Maggie was Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at the Maybourne Beverly Hills Hotel. Everyone who knew Maggie also knew of the mutual adoration between Maggie and her 12-year-old cousin, Cheyenne (who she viewed more like a niece). In Maggie’s honor, a North Carolina 529 College Savings Account has been established for Cheyenne.

To contribute go to https://app.backer.com/cheyennescollegefund275. Those who love Maggie will forever miss this driven, intelligent, and creative young woman.

GOD’S PLAN EARLY LEARNING CENTER

Every parent feels anxious about daycare. When the Word of God Daycare & Preschool had to temporarily close, one dedicated teacher felt an urgent need to continue teaching her Pre-K students. She had grown attached to them and wanted to ensure they were well-prepared for kindergarten.

Linda Peterson’s love for children shines through her bright smile, nurturing ways, and firm discipline. She quickly found a location to accommodate God’s Plan Early Learning Center and transformed it into a nurturing learning environment using the Abeka Christian Curriculum. Students learned scriptures and developed the habit of praying for each other. Ms. Peterson also prayed with parents during challenging times.

By graduation, the class held a ceremony at WRAL Gardens. Each student wore a robe in their favorite color. They presented Bible recitations and demonstrated their Circle Time activities, including the Pledge of Allegiance, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” as well as their spelling and reading skills. Since Father’s Day was around the corner, each student presented their dad with a long-stemmed rose.

This was the final class of Ms. Peterson’s teaching career. She ended her career knowing she had instilled the Word of God in her students while preparing them for the next step in their education. The world needs more teachers like Ms. Linda Peterson.

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