No Looking Back After two years majoring in Communications at The Ohio State University, Tyler Joseph made the decision to leave college to further dedicate himself to music. Although his parents may have questioned the risk, he was motivated to pursue this career because of the extreme power of music, and the potential impact in all areas of his life. The risk paid off. Twenty One Pilots formed in 2009, and the band signed on with Atlantic Records label “Fueled By Ramen” in 2012. Tyler then signed a publishing/ song writing agreement with Warner Chappell Music in 2013. He has not looked back since, being named MTV Artist To Watch 2013, VMA Best New Video Nomination 2013, MTV Global Push Artist 2013, and selling out concert venue after concert venue. Twenty One Pilots was even named AP Magazine Album of the Year 2013. As a self-employed musician, Tyler has quickly learned what it is like to be an employer. Several of his friends from high school are working with him, and while there will always be challenges, he reports that he would not want to be pursuing his music career with anyone else. One of the best things about his career is the opportunity to meet all kinds of extraordinary people, and really see firsthand the impact Twenty One Pilots’ music is having on people all around the world.
Tyler Joseph 2008
Tyler feels that WCS prepared him well for his future, as he was influenced by several teachers at WCS including Dan Roads, Mike O’Donnell, Mike O’Neil, Adam Heath, and Tom Burns. Future plans include continuing to do more of what he is doing now: writing music and performing around the world. If the next five to ten years sees him marrying and starting a family as well, he’s okay with that too.
Fighting to End Human Trafficking Starting Grove City College as a biology major, Elizabeth desired a major that she could apply to a variety of fields. With this in mind, she switched to business management and had the opportunity to intern last summer with the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. The first time Elizabeth heard about human trafficking was in Mike O’Donnell’s freshman English class. He only mentioned it in passing, but she very clearly remembers being struck by the fact that slavery still existed in the world today, and God planted the seeds that would grow into a passion to end human trafficking. She traveled to see the work of Asia’s Hope in Southeast Asia with Adam and Jess Heath. That trip, as well as Adam Heath’s U.S. history class, further opened her eyes to the reality of injustice, and were both key in shaping where she is today. She is grateful for these teachers’ influence. Her work with stopping human trafficking to-date has been extraordinary. To know that she has played a part, however small, in offering hope and healing to victims of human trafficking, and in making people aware of the issue is work she aspires to continue. Elizabeth graduated from GCC with a B.S. in Business Management in May 2014, and plans to work as the Executive Programs Fellow with Polaris Project in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Elizabeth Early 2010
Among her many accomplishments at GCC, Elizabeth knows that she has been able to influence other students interested in anti-trafficking efforts. She has been able to create opportunities for GCC students to engage with the issue, and has shown them that opportunities to get involved in anti-trafficking efforts vocationally do exist. Elizabeth’s future plans include completing a graduate degree, and working full-time in a capacity that allows her to continue to be engaged with the issue of human trafficking. We are certain that she will continue to make a substantial impact, no matter what her future holds.