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At just 15 years old, Aurora Ajiboye-Taylor, a sophomore at Westfield High School, is a student with a mission. Balancing an impressive array of responsibilities and initiatives that blend sustainability, culinary arts and education, Ajiboye-Taylor is committed to a greener future for all. As a Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) program member, she is not only expanding her culinary knowledge, but also spearheading a hydroponics project that could transform how schools approach sustainability.
The FACS program, which includes culinary arts and life-skills courses, offers students a hands-on experience. Ajiboye-Taylor also takes Intro to Culinary Arts and Principles and the advanced Culinary Arts class. Her journey began with Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), where she first met her culinary instructors. Inspired by their work and mentorship, she decided to pursue a career in culinary arts.
This year Ajiboye-Taylor and her culinary teacher, Nikki Heflin, launched a groundbreaking hydroponics program using four tower gardens to grow herbs, vegetables and edible flowers. This initiative, inspired by an older project called Presley’s Produce, started by growing herbs for culinary classes and teaching sustainability. However, it has evolved to grow lettuce, vegetables and even edible flowers, showcasing the potential of hydroponics in transforming how schools approach sustainability. The produce is harvested, dehydrated, and packaged into seasonings sold to teachers and staff.
“Right before Thanksgiving, we sold bunches of herbs for teachers to season their turkeys and gravies,” Ajiboye-Taylor says.
She hopes to expand the project by selling their products at local farmers markets this summer. Hydroponics, which is a method of growing plants without soil, solves a critical space issue at Westfield High School.
“We don’t have much room for traditional gardens,” Ajiboye-Taylor says. “Hydroponics lets us use the space we already have while still growing fresh herbs and vegetables for our classes.”
Ajiboye-Taylor is particularly passionate about the sustainability aspect of the project. She says nothing goes to waste. She says even when the group harvests, the plants continue to grow. She says this reduces plastic waste by avoiding the purchase of prepackaged herbs every week, and any leftover plant matter is composted for the outdoor gardens.
She envisions expanding the program at Shamrock Station, a new facility for advanced classes and special programs currently under construction. The new building will include a greenhouse and outdoor gardens. She says she hopes they can involve more students in planting, creating garden beds and growing fruit trees.
Ajiboye-Taylor’s aspirations extend beyond high school and are nothing short of ambitious. She plans to pursue a career in FACS education or special education, potentially attending Purdue University or Ball State. She loves working with special-education students and hopes to become more involved in that field, inspiring the next generation’s commitment to sustainability and education.
In addition to her culinary and hydroponic work, Ajiboye-Taylor serves on the FCCLA board, focusing on public policy and national programs. She’s also working on a Storybook Kitchen project, which teaches elementary students how to cook using classic childhood stories as inspiration.
Ajiboye-Taylor exemplifies how passion and innovation can intersect to create meaningful change. Whether through hydroponics or education, she is planting the seeds for a brighter, more sustainable future, one tower garden at a time.
