Sophia Hyatt never met Lorenzo Taylor, who died more than 60 years before she was born.
But Hyatt, a junior at Sayre High School, is about to become intimately acquainted with Taylor, an Elmira resident who was killed in action during the Normandy Invasion while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Hyatt will be learning about Taylor and about the conflict that claimed his life after she was among a handful of high school students selected nationwide this year to take part in the Normandy Institute through George Washington University, according to her teacher, Jennifer Ameigh.
This is a perfect opportunity to gain a better understanding of that turbulent time in history and its impact, Hyatt said.
"The concept is to find someone close to your hometown who died in D-Day. (Taylor) was the closest to us," said Hyatt, 17. "I look for a connection. I had a hard time reading history and understanding it. This makes me realized it happened, it's real. It becomes familiar to me."
"This highly selective program accepts only 15 student/teacher teams from across the country," Ameigh said.
"Expectations of the institute are that both student and teacher will complete a six-month non-degree course through George Washington University," she said. "In June 2026, we will head to Washington, D.C. and then Normandy, France to study the history of D-Day, the Battle of Normandy, and WWII history in general."
Who was Lorenzo Taylor?
The Normandy trip and lesson about D-Day and World War II will take a more personal turn for Hyatt when she has the opportunity to write a profile of a local soldier who became a casualty during the invasion.
"The highlight of the Institute is that the student/teacher team will research a local soldier who was killed during the D-Day invasion and is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery St-Laurent/Mer Omaha Beach France," Ameigh said.
"We will write a biography of this soldier, which will be included in the archives of the American Battle Monuments Commission," she said. "In addition, Sophia will stand next to the grave of our soldier and deliver his biography. We have chosen Lorenzo Alvin Taylor as our soldier."
Lorenzo Taylor was born Jan. 15, 1918 in Tioga, Pennsylvania. His family later moved to Elmira and he attended Elmira Free Academy. He worked for American LaFrance after graduation, Ameigh said.
Taylor enlisted in the U.S. Army and obtained the rank of Private First Class. He served as a paratrooper in the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, according to the Airborne Museum of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France.
Taylor was killed in action on June 6 or 7, 1944. He was 26 years old.Honors he earned included the Purple Heart, WWII Victory Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.
"There were 2,400 from his unit who went in," Hyatt noted. "Only 900 came back."
What Hyatt and Ameigh hope to take away from the experience
Hyatt, the youngest of four children, is looking forward to telling Taylor's story, and learning more about the harrowing experiences he and other allied troops went through.
"Last summer we were in Philadelphia for school history day. I was looking for a program we could do," Hyatt said. "With my passion for history and (Ameigh's) passion for history, we came across the D-Day program. During the six-month course at George Washington University, we'll learn about every aspect," she said. "I'll have to write a briefing paper."
For Ameigh, who teaches gifted students in kindergarten through 12th grade in the Sayre Area School District, the D-Day project and honoring a local service member are also personal.
"(Taylor) was already an orphan when he enlisted. Only one other sibling was still alive when he died. Who else is going to remember him?" Ameigh said. "We are the ones who are picking it up. My father was in Vietnam. My brother was in the Persian Gulf. For us, it's to help another soldier be remembered. It fills that void."