The Youth Clinic has named Tyler Cox as the 2022 recipient of the Growing Healthy Kids High School Scholarship! The Windsor High School senior’s primary provider is Dr. Guenther, MD,  who has been a pediatrician at The Youth Clinic since 1989. 

Tyler shared with us his battles with depression. “When the pandemic started, I strove to fill every second I could with whatever I could. I would take online dance classes, online acting classes, online vocal lessons, and had earbuds in 24/7. Like the rest of the world, I felt completely isolated, partly due to my own mental barriers.” He noted the immense pressure that he put on himself to pull everything together caused a lot of strain to his mental health.

Tyler bravely reached out for help when it became too overwhelming. “When it finally came out, it spilled out. I finally told them I needed medication and therapy. Once I got past the initial terrifying steps of opening up to a new person, it felt like the moment in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy steps into color.”

By reaching out to his support system and making small improvements to his everyday life, he accomplished high grades and put his best art on the stage by focusing on “the present moment and being healthy.”

With the help of The Youth Clinic’s $1,000 scholarship, Tyler will be able to pursue a degree in Music Education and Acting at the University of Kansas to continue his passion for music and the arts.

The Youth Clinic Growing Healthy Kids High School Scholarship application requires students to turn in an essay describing a time he or she had to overcome a challenge. Essays are scored based on theme and content, organization and development, grammar, mechanics, and style.

Tyler reminds us that life may not always be easy, but it will be “beautiful, colorful, and demanding.”