A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Tyler Goodman

Tyler-YOYThis week’s Portage Life in the Spotlight, Tyler Goodman, knows how to lead throughout his community and give back at the same time.

Goodman is the South Haven Boys & Girls Club of Porter County’s Youth of the Year for 2013 and 2014 and a freshman at Portage High School. He participates in Orchestra, Keystone and Teen Enterprise. Through all of his activities there is one characteristic that is strongly shown throughout everything he does, and that is leadership.

“I was chosen as Youth of the Year because of my leadership,” Goodman said. “I lead throughout my club, especially in Keystone.”

In Keystone, which is a leadership group that volunteers throughout the South Haven and Portage communities, Goodman is Vice President. Through his roles as Vice President, he is responsible for overseeing events and helping other Keystone members with any problem they may be having.

“My peers elected me as Vice President because they know that I am responsible,” Goodman said. “They look up to me and come to me with some of their problems.”

Goodman is not only about leadership, though; he is all about giving back as well. To Goodman, giving something to someone means more than someone giving him something.

“I like being able to help people and see the smiles on their faces when I give something to them or help them with something, even if it little as raking their leaves,” Goodman said. “If the order was reversed I would want someone helping me when I needed it.”

His selfless acts paid off last year when he was selected as the 2013 Youth of the Year for the South Haven branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs in Porter County. Since winning the award, he has conquered his fear of public speaking.

“I have to give my Youth of the Year speech in front of a lot of people so it has helped me with my fear of speaking in front of other people,” Goodman said. “I used to be scared to even present my science fair projects.”

All of Goodman’s friends definitely know at least one fact about him and that is that he wants to be a police officer when he grows up.  According to Goodman, he has been passionate about becoming a police officer since a young age.

“I have wanted to be a police officer for about three years mainly because I want to help people who cannot help themselves,” Goodman said. “It is my life dream to become one and hopefully one day because of my leadership, I will become one.”

Goodman will be competing for the Porter County title of Youth of the Year on Jan. 22, 2014.