Fuel Tyler's Dream to Lead

Hello, As a mother, my goal is to give my children better experiences, opportunities, and an overall better life than I have had. As a single mother, I do not always have the resources to do so. Nevertheless, I always put my best foot forward and my pride aside to do what is necessary to give my AMAZING young men everything they deserve and more. So I am here because my oldest son, Tyler, has been offered an awesome opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders Conference this summer. He is so excited and dedicated to going to further his knowledge and grow in leadership. Below is an essay he wrote explaining why this Conference is important to him. It is my prayer that as you read you hear his heart and be willing to invest in his greatness. Thank you.

My name is Tyler Powell. I am grateful for my achievements and excited to attend and participate in the Jr. NYLC conference, a platform that will further enhance my leadership skills and provide me with opportunities. Becoming a leader is like playing piano, at least for me. You need to find a base or grounding to add chords and adlibs. In this circumstance, the base is a person or event that inspired me. Many people have inspired me and helped me push on and be resilient. My family, friends, and teachers have all stuck by me.

I'm growing up in a single-parent household without my father's presence. At times, I've been the victim of bullying, and at the age of only six years old, I lost the base to my chords and adlibs, my grandfather. Things have been tough for me. I could have just given up, I could have waved my white flag, and no one would be able to blame me. But no, I got up and kept going. One of the many things I learned from my grandfather was that I should keep going no matter what. My mom, Shanelle Powell, was another base for my chords and adlibs. My mom helped me defeat my demons and beat the odds. She got me back on track; she didn't just let me wallow in my pain. My mom picked me up and got me back on my feet. She taught me how to be a leader without me even realizing it. She looked out for me even when she didn't have enough and struggled sometimes.

I've always been more mature than others my age. I've always been, as most say, wiser and more morally intelligent than others my age. I have earned the title of being an old soul. My mom embraces this and teaches me how to put wisdom to good use. She teaches me morals and how to be both responsible and resilient. Being a leader is less about being a boss or being in charge and more about taking responsibility. I have learned the value of hard work. All of this inspires me to be a leader.

Leadership is about three things: morals, responsibility, and resilience. My inspiration is several things, but it all stems from the passing of my late grandfather, an event that changed my life forever. That event is why I try my hardest to do right and make him proud in heaven. I also want to impact the world, not just the Washington, DC, area and not just America but the world. My purpose is to lead others through rough and challenging times, and I’ll do that through my hard work and music. Dedication is love, and I'm dedicated to uniting. That's my inspiration; that's what I thrive for. To unite and to create solutions for real-world problems like violence and destruction. In 2023 alone, there were 118 homicides in Prince George's County. Kids should not have to be scared to walk down the street because of fear of gun violence. I want to attend the Jr. NYLC conference to cultivate my wisdom and understanding further so that I can become a leader who helps others worldwide. I want to help through music and hard work. My inspiration is to unite and make my family proud. I'm dedicated to this, to becoming and doing what I must do to make a difference. Thank you for this momentous opportunity.