Tyler Mitchell

Back when he was growing up in the Bronx, if someone had told Tyler Mitchell he’d one day attend college in upstate New York, it’s likely he would have laughed.

And yet, when he came to Sage for the first time, to help his older brother, Anthony, move in, Tyler took to the place right away. And when it came time for him to apply to college, Sage was on the top of his list.

“I don’t know, I just fell for the campus,” Tyler remembers. “I thought to myself, you’re not going to get lost here. It was going to be quieter, but that part has really grown on me. I can focus more here.”

Tyler, a member of the Class of 2022, has needed to focus, because he’s got some pretty serious ambitions. In high school, while being an Honor Society student in the classroom, he starred in basketball, cross country and track and field.  At Sage, he’s also competed on the basketball and track teams.

Meanwhile, he’s majoring in Biology, with plans to attend medical school.

What seems to have mattered most to him is the way his professors are committed to helping students succeed.

“They’re really into what they do, he says. “They care about helping you learn. They honestly do. It’s legit caring.”

Tyler also appreciates the overall campus vibe.

“I like how everybody wants to get to know you. Everyone is friendly. You can pretty much talk to anybody on campus. And if you have questions, people are happy to help. ”

Being a student-athlete, Tyler says, is all about finding the right balance. And he believes Sage is all about providing that balance.

“I still love playing sports,” he says. “I love the competition. But I’ve got to get my work done. I feel like I’ve matured being here. I work hard now, and I believe it’s really going to pay off.”

Tyler isn’t sure what kind of doctor he’d like to be. He’s thinking maybe an orthopedic surgeon or a pediatrician. There’s a lot more studying and work to do before that decision will need to be made.

But the decision to attend Sage, he says, was certainly the right one for him. 

“If I want to make a trip home I’m only two hours away,” he says. “And when I’m here I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to  be.”