IN Monroeville Summer 2017 | Page 12

INPERSON Barking Up the Right Tree Monroeville’s Tyler Glenn serves the community and attains Eagle Scout rank by crafting doghouses for the Monroeville Animal Shelter. By Nicole Tafe F or more than 12 years, Scouts has been an important part of life for Monroeville’s Tyler Glenn. The now Gateway High School senior has been participating in local Scout packs since the first grade, when he began his journey as a Tiger Cub with Pack 115. “Scouts has been a way for me to show kindness and generosity to others in my community,” says Glenn. After graduating from Tiger Cubs, Glenn became a Wolf, a Bear, a Webelos, went on to earn his Arrow of Light and quickly moved on to Boy Scouts. He held many leadership positions including Patrol Leader, Chaplain’s Aid and Senior Patrol Leader. His experiences with Scouts led him far and wide, taking him on adventures like scaling the mountains of the Philmont Scout Reservation in New Mexico, sailing on the windy waters of the Florida Keys, white-water rafting in Colorado’s Browns Canyon, sleeping in the frigid night air of Vowinckel and camping in the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia, all while earning merit badges and making friendships along the way through his participation in numerous summer camps. Glenn, 17, is the son of Heather Glenn. He enjoys a variety of hobbies and extracurricular activities including video games, ceramics and art. Glenn has also played the violin with Gateway’s orchestra since the third grade, and has recently started playing guitar. As a senior in high school, the final hurrah for Glenn was coming up with a project that would help him earn his Eagle Scout rank—a Scout’s highest honor. When taking his two dogs—a seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Lola and a four-year-old miniature pinscher mix named Tess—out on a walk one day, Glenn decided to embark on a project that blended his love for dogs with service to his community. Glenn decided to build three doghouses for the Monroeville Animal Shelter. “I wanted the shelter’s dogs to have a permanent home, even though they might have lost their previous one,” says Glenn. “The time it took to build and paint each house was consuming, but it was very rewarding when it was finally done, and 10 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Monroeville Tyler Glenn the dogs loved their new homes right away.” Each shelter was crafted from wood, painted brown and topped off with a white bone design, stenciled in at the top of each door. Glenn began work on the doghouses in October of Tyler Glenn with his mother, Heather. last year, and the completed project was delivered to the shelter this January. Glenn raised funds for the project by hosting a dog wash event in September. “I am so proud of my son,” says Heather. “He’s such a sweet and amazing person with a huge heart. He makes me laugh everyday!” Glenn plans to go on to CCAC-Boyce Campus to continue his studies in the fall of this year. “I’ll be going into college with an undecided major, but might study prosthetic engineering in hopes that designing and modifying bionic limbs may eventually lead me to a sci-fi-esc career,” he says. “Whatever my future path may be, the valuable lessons I learned in Scouts will always guide me in my decisions towards the achievement of my goals.” n