Campus Celeb: Tyler Shaw

Name: Tyler Shaw

Major: VCD

Grade: Senior

Hometown: Warren, Ohio

Her Campus: What organizations are you involved in on campus?Tyler Shaw: Black United Students

HC: What has been your most memorable experience at Kent State University?TS: As a student, my internship.

HC: Oh, where did you intern?TS: Walker and Company in Silicon Valley

HC: Tell me more.TS: Well, their first product is called Bevel and it’s the first in the industry in the shaving system for men of color. People always ask what does that mean? Black guys need different stuff to shave? The thing is that people with curly or course hair can’t shave with Gillette Razors. It automatically gives you in-grown hairs. It’s taken this long to get a solution to that simple problem.

                                                                                                                             Shaw with Ideabase coworkers 

HC: What is one piece of advice that you would give to an incoming freshmen?TS: Know what you’re here for and not only that, get it.

HC: How would you define diversity?TS: Diversity means people being able to interact with each other; sharing ideas, sharing knowledge, sharing culture in a way that’s respected and respectable.

HC: So, this month is Black History Month, what does it mean to you to be Black?TS: I think that Black History Month is something special but I don’t think I can envelope my blackness to a month or a holiday. Black history is continually being made every day. All people of all cultures continue to make history for their people.

HC: Has anyone made a significant impact during your time at Kent, if so, who?TS: Dr. George Garrison

HC: And why?TS: I admire his character, I think that what he teaches his students is tough and he does it in an unbiased way. I like the way he carries himself and the way you can tell he cares about his subject matter. It’s kind of like inspiration without knowing you’re being an inspiration.

HC: What does leadership mean to you?TS: Leadership means service. Biblically speaking, it obviously says in the scripture that he was to be the least. The idea that if you’re a leader it’s not that you’re over people- it’s that you have a responsibility to ensure their progress.

HC: What’s your favorite thing about Kent State?TS: I would say that it’s the diversity. Being able to interact with so many different cultures and getting a broader sense of a world view without stepping out of the country.

HC: What’s one thing that you would change about Kent State?TS: I don’t know if it’s Kent State in general, but I think that campuses tend to be one of the most biased and segregated places. When you come to college you’re trying to understand yourself and be around people you relate to. So, in the midst of the diversity there has to be interaction.

HC: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?TS: Lord willing- A lot of people get so focused on the future and where it is were going and what we want to accomplish and you aren’t promised tomorrow. You have to realize you might not be here in 24 hours. It’s kind of arrogant. But to answer your question I think that in 10 years I will be continuing to strive to better myself, my family and my community and using my skills and design to impact people. I do want to start my own business and I want to continue to make work that provokes thought.

HC: Do you have a favorite quote?TS: It’s not my favorite, but “To whom much is given, much is required.”

HC: Who is your biggest role model?TS: My father. Most of the things he has taught me in life he have lived out. I have learned more from his action and what he says. He is definitely a man who lives out his actions.

HC: What else should our readers know about you?  TS: I’m doing a video in the next month and it’s going to be called ‘Onward’ by Tyler Shaw. It’s talking about and breaking down what it is to be in a post racial society, especially after Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown.

HC: Is it a short film?TS: More of a conversation.

Tyler Shaw is ambitious and driven to make the world a better place through his creative work. He is a black leader on our campus who is designing and creating work that will impact others. Look out for Shaw’s video, ‘Onward’ coming soon. 

• artist
• BlackHistoryMonth
• celeb
• Onward