Tyler Rondeau

In high school, Tyler Rondeau played on the soccer, wrestling and baseball teams. He was the picture of health.

Until senior year. That’s when he found out he had Type 1 diabetes.

Actually, Tyler still appears to be the picture of health. After earning his undergraduate degree in Sage’s Physical Education program, and now completing his master’s in School Health Education, Tyler teaches at an elementary school in Vermont, while also coaching soccer, wrestling and baseball at Hoosick Falls high school.

He says dealing with his diabetes has pretty much become routine.  “I’ve never let it get me down,” he says. “And I’m doing everything I did before.”

But back when starting out at Sage, it meant making some significant adjustments, including being a commuter student.

Though like so much with Tyler, he took that in stride as well. 

“There were a lot of other kids in the program who were commuters,” he remembers. “I always felt like I was part of the community. I had personal connections with my professors. I made a lot of good friends.”

During college he also coached baseball back at his high school in Hoosick Falls.

Tyler says about his time at Sage that he opened up and got to know himself more. But it seems he always had a pretty good idea of who he is. He likes sports, and he likes sharing his love of sports. Teaching physical education has become the great job for him that he always thought it would be.

“Elementary school kids like coming to gym class,” he says. “They have fun while I’m teaching them the fitness aspects of the fun.”

Chances are, he’s also teaching them what it means to have a great attitude.