Southwest High School senior finds success after support from community
Tyler Carpenter found a home with his principal's secretary to stay in Macon and finish his education.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — As another school year comes to an end, one middle Georgia student is sharing his story of how a sense of belonging helped him on the road to success.
Tyler Carpenter is a 17-year-old content creator and senior at Southwest High School in Macon.
In 2021, Tyler moved from Virginia to Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic. He started attending virtual classes as a sophomore at Southwest. Tyler’s principal, Bernard Young, says when in-person classes resumed, Tyler wasn’t showing up for school. Young says he reached out to Tyler, urging he attend class.
During his junior year, Tyler was able to financially support himself as a content creator. He wanted to focus on his career, but after building a relationship with Principal Young, Tyler shared his story.
In March of 2022, Tyler’s parents decided to move to North Carolina. Having moved around most of his life, Tyler wanted to stay in Macon. So his parents allowed him to finish the lease on their house during his junior year. After that, Tyler had to decide to move back with his parents or be on his own.
“I did not want to leave. I genuinely love Southwest, I love the people here. Everyone here; every administrator is so sweet, everyone is nice,” said Tyler. “I feel I was able to build a bond with everyone here and it’s kind of sad that I’m going to have to go.”
As Tyler made friends and became more involved with school clubs, Principal Young along with the administration at Southwest, decided to extend their community outside of the school. Young’s secretary, Melanie Smith, then opened up her home to Tyler.
“From school to home, my kids love him, I love him,” said Smith. “To tell you the truth, the house is gonna be a little boring when he leaves.”
Tyler says without the support from his teachers and classmates, he wouldn’t be where his is today. Once he graduates, Tyler will attend Clark Atlanta University to study Marketing.
Principal Young says Tyler’s situation is a reflection of the sense of community at Southwest.
“It’s one of those things you can’t even imagine because he’s done so much at this stage, but he’s so humble,” Young said. “So I see the world for him.”
Principal Young is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, and his son also attends. He says Tyler is a part of the family, and will continue to support Tyler beyond the halls of Southwest High.
