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10.22.2020
"Engaged, enthusiastic, and exemplified success.” These are the words Elizabeth McGuire, Vocational Coordinator at Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter’s Louis Nine House, used to describe our Tenant of the Year Tyler Cruell.
Tyler arrived at Louis Nine House in 2016 at the age of 16. A former foster youth, Tyler had experienced trauma stemming from lack of stable housing and losing a parent to incarceration prior to arriving at Louis Nine House.
While he had experienced serious obstacles in his young life, Tyler showed incredible amounts of resilience – he commuted daily back and forth to school from the South Bronx to Brooklyn and completed high school six months after arriving at Louis Nine House. He became an integral member of the Louis Nine House community, attending cooking activities, game nights, and breakfasts with staff.
Not only has Tyler grown to be a strong member of the Louis Nine House community, but he has also become a leader among his peers. McGuire described how he serves as a mentor to other residents, explaining “His support and advice for fellow tenants is admirable. He is always available to lend a listening ear and he has a welcoming approach to new residents acclimating to life at Louis Nine House.”
Mary Clark, Senior Case Manager at Louis Nine House, added that while Tyler was shy and reserved when he entered Louis Nine House, he has since emerged from his shell. She said, “Tyler is a social butterfly. Working with him and watching him reclaim his life has been an amazing process.”
Tyler has since gone on to work as a Program Aide at Harlem Children’s Zone, working with children on recreational and educational objectives, and was recently hired at the Alexander Robertson School. Clark said Tyler is passionate about education and working with young people. “Tyler is a responsible young man who has found his passion working with children. Tyler is enthusiastic about work and has never missed a day,” she said.
Since entering Louis Nine House, Tyler has grown into a determined and ambitious individual with unlimited potential. Tyler’s goal-oriented nature and energetic spirit make him a remarkable resident and a wonderful educator, and we are delighted to honor him as a Tenant of the Year.