(Q) Who are you and where did you go to school?
Tyler: My name is Tyler Hull, and I went to Sycamore High School, graduating class of 2018.

(Q) How many years were you in YEP?
Tyler: I was in YEP for three years, and served as Outreach Chair and Chair.

(Q) Where are you now and what are you up to?
Tyler: I am currently a junior at the University of Illinois. I am studying psychology and Spanish as a double major with a minor in chemistry. I plan to go to medical school after I complete my undergraduate degree.

(Q) What’s a recent accomplishment you are proud of?
Tyler: I made it through a year of attending college during COVID-19! That was actually very difficult to navigate as a student. Add in my work on the University of Illinois football team and you can see what a busy and challenging year it was. 🙂

(Q) What were some of your greatest takeaways from YEP?
Tyler: I learned the importance of community. Where you live is where your involvement should be. I also learned to find the confidence in speaking with others. It’s easy to shy away from conversations with people that you don’t know. Some are leaders in the community or hold a place of power that might intimidate you. Just find that spark and go talk with them. Once you start, it’s easier the next time and the next time. I also learned that some ideas are right there in front of you as an existing idea. You don’t always have to start from scratch. Take a great idea and make it greater. During my time in YEP, we did that with a $100 Challenge idea. We took the existing Challenge and added to it by finding donors to make it take place monthly vs just one time a year. YEP members now benefit from a monthly $100 Challenge!

(Q) How are you currently (or plan to in the near future) giving of your time, talent, and treasure?
Tyler: I like to serve in my community and I found community right here in Champaign, IL. I volunteer at Carle Hospital in Urbana.  I work for a variety of departments there and I find great joy in that. I’m also in an organization called Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAA), it’s the premiere student organization on campus. I served on the executive committee board this past year and used a lot of the ideas that I had in YEP in my role there. I also served as the vice president of business operations for the SAA.

His advice to current and future YEP members:

“Explore everything, even if it’s going to tire you out. You never know if you’re going to love something if you don’t try it. Get involved and make a difference for good!” – Tyler Hull

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