When a classmate needed help to achieve the SAT score needed to attend her dream college, Tylea “Ty” Alpaugh stepped in.
The senior at Western Wayne studied with her tennis teammate for eight months, resulting in her peer gaining acceptance into the college.
Ty continues to volunteer as an SAT tutor, works as the head artist at a charity that has sent more than 8,000 soccer balls to Haitian orphans and volunteers for her local library’s summer reading programs.
The daughter of Amy and Cole Alpaugh, she is the first National Merit Finalist in the high school’s history, an accomplishment she is most proud of. Ty also takes a rigorous amount of advanced placement courses at Western Wayne.
However, it’s her contributions to art and music she’s found most rewarding; Ty played the leading role in the school’s last two musicals.
She is also a member of the marching band, serving as band historian and playing the marimba and tenor drums.
Ty was a foley artist — the person who reproduces every day sounds during performances — during the a Spotlight Players performance. The theater company is based in Wayne County.
A member of the tennis team, Ty lead the team to districts as co-captain.
She most admires bees because they are important pollinators and make delicious honey. She also admires her camp film instructor, who sparked Ty’s interest to start her on a journey into cinematography. Ty enjoys watching movies in the theaters and creating short films in her spare time.
That passion will lead her to Vassar College after graduation, where she plans to double major in drama and film. In 15 years, she sees herself living in New York City and acting on Broadway.
Ty, who collects quotes from people in her daily life, says her philosophy on life can be summed up with a Cat in the Hat quote from “Seussical the Musical:” “…Simply, things could be worse.”
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kbolus@timesshamrock.com;
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