Talk to an advisor (9 AM-9 PM EST): 866-442-6062

Talk to an advisor (9 AM-9 PM EST): 866-925-2803

From button--downs and sweater vests to T--shirts and jeans,  

TAYLOR BALL

  has proven his outstanding acting ability for playing the part of a geek on the CBS sitcom "Still Standing." Truth be told, there's a rocker who burns inside.

"We are exact opposites," Taylor says. "Brian's kind of a nerd -- his hair is combed to one side, and he's in the math club. He might as well be decked out in a penguin suit. I'm into hardcore metal bands."

But don't let the rock band T--shirts and electric guitar fool you. This 17-year-old may not look like a smarty pants, but he's a math whiz who aspires to attend college. "I actually hate algebra," he explains, "but it's my best subject right now."

Taylor balances his career and education with homeschooling. With more than seven teachers, this 11th-grader is tutored on weeknights, weekends, and in 20-minute intervals between scenes on the set.

"There's a history book on my desk waiting to be read right now," he admits. "We pack all this schoolwork into such little time. But, when I'm all alone, and there's homework to do, I really have to kick my own butt to do it."

And when it comes to skateboarding, playing guitar, and hanging out with friends, Taylor says he has to kick his own butt to do that, too. "I need to be more motivated with my hobbies," he reveals. "I work every day, so there's not much time to do anything else."

He did, however, manage to work on an amateur film, "Very Bad Day," with friends. The dark comedy is based on a true story about a friend struggling with drug addiction. In the movie, Taylor and his friends explore their reactions to the substance-abusing pal.

"It was difficult for us to watch him at the time," he explains. "But now he's fine, so we can look back and reflect." Now that Taylor's approaching new milestones as an adult, he's beginning to reflect on his own experiences -- a budding career, a bid to college, a jam-packed schedule, and his youth. And he wouldn't trade his life for anything.

"When I was little, I told my mom that I wanted to be JIM CARREY," recalls Taylor. "She took me seriously." Thanks to mom, the aspiring actor landed modeling jobs and a starring role on Disney Channel's "Eddie's Million-Dollar Cook-Off."

Now that he's living the life he set out to as a kid, what's next on Taylor's agenda? He's considering three fields: Filmmaking, architecture, and rock stardom. Mom's contribution to these new ventures: A camera, a college education, and a guitar.

It's undetermined which road the young talent will ultimately take. But one thing's for sure -- expect to see him roaming the halls of a Los Angeles, California-based university someday soon...


http://www.collegesurfing.com/content
Ysolt Usigan is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

Sound Off! Post Your Comments