Meet Tyler Adolfo, a Communication Junior

By Nusrah Azeez and Christine Souaiden

Tyler is from Webster, MA. He is a junior Communication major. He is very proactive on campus, is part of the Student Government Association, is a social media manager for the Kappa Sigma social fraternity, takes part in mock trials, worked on the finance committee, and was on the faculty senate program budget council. Recently, Tyler was involved in philanthropic and service related tasks. Growing up with a single mom, Tyler pushes himself to be an overachiever so he can one day repay his mom.

Tyler chose UMass because of all of the opportunities it has to offer, it has a wide variety of clubs and communities that cater to anyone’s interests. This allows for networks and connections to be made which could help an individual become successful down the line. Another reason why Tyler chose UMass is because of its affordability. 

As a result of his own personal experiences, Tyler was driven to become a Communication major. Tyler struggles in social situations, but always felt that public speaking came naturally to him. He was nervous on the mock trial team, but when faced with speaking to a crowd of 5000, he was quite comfortable. He believes that public speaking allows him to use his voice to advocate for other people and help to the best of his ability.

Tyler is now interning at the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, where he has accumulated new skills, such as proficiency with Canva, Hootsuite, and social media programs.  He works on social media marketing to promote local businesses, such as Antonio’s Pizza. Taking initiative and learning how to use applications that are specific to social media management are transferable skills from his internship.

Like most people in college, Tyler has had his ups and downs. On an individual level, college has helped put him in a better spot to achieve his long term goals. When faced with difficult situations in college, he tries to take action and implement change. When a situation is out of his control, he adapts to it.

The most memorable Communication classes that Tyler has taken so far are: Performance Studies, Advertising from a Social Perspective, and Gender, Sex & Representation. Even though all of the Communication classes he has taken have been highly enjoyable, Tyler likes learning about lived experiences and the idea of walking in other people’s shoes. Going up to professors after classes is something that Tyler frequently does because it enhances the quality of his learning as professors always have wisdom and valuable advice to share with their students. 

At the 20-21 UMass dining talent show, Tyler wrote, memorized and performed a 55-bar inspirational themed exam motivation rap, where he highlighted the fact that he was a drop out at one point. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” is a quote by Mohammad Ali that helped Tyler establish the approach he was going to use to get through his performance. A video was taken at the event and it ended up going viral on social media. 

UMass is known for its delicious dining options. Some of Tyler’s favorite dishes are General Tso’s Chicken that he thinks is worth the long wait in line, and the buffalo macaroni & cheese. Tyler enjoys the different array of food options from all over the world and believes that not checking them out would be missing out. Tyler’s favorite spot to hang out on campus is the W.E.B Du Bois Library as it is quiet and open late, especially for students who do not have the proper studying environment.
Tyler offers advice to incoming college students by saying, “There is such a thing called time, and there is a limited amount of it. So to the greatest extent possible, without neglecting your mental wellbeing, try taking advantage of every opportunity that is available, because everyone has a purpose in this world, you stand to make a difference in this world, everyone has that ability. I will draw to a quote that was a big part of my story, ‘nothing in this world can take the place of persistence, so do not let anyone ever tell you that you are not capable of doing whatever you want.’ You can do anything you put your mind to, with perseverance and consistent effort, anyone can truly stand to make an impact on this world for the greater good and for yourself. Do not undervalue yourself, take advantage of any opportunity you can, within reason.”