Profile Written by: Ben Hollingshead, Volunteer
The Words Alive 2023 Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award winner Tyler Pratt is an academically accomplished volunteer. Tyler grew up in Augusta, Georgia, read voraciously as a child, and especially loved the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. He went on to get his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, his master’s degree from Stanford University, and his doctoral degree from Princeton University. He currently teaches and researches political science at Yale University. His research at Yale focuses on how states cooperate with each other and the “fragmentation of global governance,” and the consequences of this on cooperation.
Tyler was looking for volunteer opportunities during the pandemic and happened to find Words Alive through an online search. He is a mentor in the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program and Deputy Chair of the WAWS task force. He mentors Andrea, one of the scholarship recipients earning her degree in Sociology at George Fox University. He constantly communicates with his mentee and helps her find her voice. He is passionate about helping the Westreich scholars and always has a positive attitude and open mind. Tyler described his motivation to volunteer at Words Alive: “I benefited from a couple of great mentors when I was young, and I love having the opportunity to pass it forward in some way. The Words Alive scholarship students I interact with are bright, ambitious, and really inspiring.” Tyler also designs and implements bi-monthly workshops to help scholars with life skills (e.g., public speaking and communication, tax prep, and financial literacy). While the scholarship program is winding down this year, he would love to stay involved with Words Alive.
Tyler spends most of his free time with his wife and two young kids. He is also taking pilot lessons, which has been a fun hobby. Tyler, thank you for all your hard work, and congratulations on winning the Westreich Scholarship Service and Mentorship Award!
Book recommendation: The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik, “a great book about child development and the relationship between parents and children.”