Tyler is a young man who participated in one of our Teach One to Lead One high school groups. His life story touches deep in the hearts of those who hear it. For you see, Tyler was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 11. As we can only imagine, he was overwhelmed by the emotional pain and physical danger of experiencing unexpected and dangerous seizures. His medical condition eventually resulted in the need to have brain surgery. Post-surgery recovery was very challenging for Tyler; he had to relearn vocabulary and other basic skills. Naturally, he was afraid to return to school but eventually did.

The pain of being different from other kids his age caused him to struggle with anger management and self-control issues. Suicidal thoughts were another struggle. When Tyler joined a Teach One to Lead One (Tl L 1) group in his school, he became interested in learning what the Tl Ll curriculum taught him. With the help of his TILI mentors, Tyler learned techniques for managing his emotions and building healthy relationships. Tyler is now a successful student with a bright future ahead.

He quickly tells other students, “I know you are having a lot of problems, but you need to learn who you really are.” He encourages them to seize the moment and rise above their circumstances. Seeing Tyler become such a strong young man is quite the reward. I am filled with gratitude, knowing that I was able to play a role in his transformation. 

Written by Faith Murphy