As a member of Portage High School's graduating class, Tylor Hudson already has to deal with the responsibilities that come with being a senior, but as Student Body President, an active member of Central Church of God and a track and cross country runner, this week's Portage Life in the Spotlight proves he's willing to take on more than just what is expected of him.
One of Hudson's major duties for the school year will be taking care of the Student Council (StuCo), where he will run meetings and coordinate events as the Student Body President.
With only a year of Student Council experience under his belt, Hudson is not as seasoned as some past presidents, but the not-quite-rookie worked extra hard to prove his worth, and complete the position's prerequisite of chairing three Student Council-sponsored events, in the shortened time span.
If anything, joining later in his high school career has shown Hudson that what the school's population thinks they know about the group is not always true.
"Student council is not as lame as people assume," Hudson said.
In an effort to prove this, Hudson wishes to focus on bringing the hype back to Student Council.
"My plans for Student Council have to do with getting more students involved and make PHS a better and more memorable place this year," Hudson said.
Through recruitment efforts and tentative plans for new events for the school year, Hudson hopes to increase Student Council participation.
"One, it'll look good on a resume; and second, if you want to get involved in the school, student council is the place to be," Hudson said. "StuCo always has something going on."
One such event is Homecoming, which is run by the Council every year. The Student Body Officers oversee all activities, such as spirit days and a pep rally, as the individual classes decorate hallways and build floats.
It is a challenging weeklong event.
"I can't make it great all on my own," Hudson said. "With the officers' help, we will plan, direct and carry out all Homecoming has to offer."
Besides the fun it provides, Student Council also offers a unique set of student skills to the school.
"Our officers all have the leadership qualities PHS needs," Hudson said. "A quality someone lacks is a quality someone else has."
The leadership qualities that Hudson brings to the Student Council may come in part from his passion for running. He participates on the high school's cross country team in the fall and track team in the spring.
Although he began solely with track in 6th grade, one of his friends encouraged him to try the long-distance events, which was how he "got sucked into cross country."
Now, he enjoys the cross country season more than his original sport. He explained that the sport allows for a closer group of teammates, as it is more team-oriented.
"Track is just always a miserable time," Hudson said. "Running in a circle eight times in the freezing cold never seems to make me smile."
Hudson hopes that the cross country team will make it to state finals this year, as he believes the coach and team deserve that honor. In order to do that, he knows they will have to train hard, but they will also have to bond with each other to create a prime atmosphere.
"What we failed to do before was address the lack of relationships within the team," Hudson said. "We weren't a team. Just some guys who ran together."
Although there are no captains as of yet, Hudson understands that he, as a senior and past MVP, needs to set an example for the rest of his team.
Hudson's most recent, but very personally important, endeavor has been his spiritual journey.
"The relationship I have with Christ influences my life immensely," Hudson said. "I try to live as Jesus did. I do that by reading the Bible and apply it to my life, even though I screw up often."
He began going to Central Church of God a year and a half ago. He has since fully devoted himself to the church.
"Besides the people that became family to me, I enjoy it because it's about Jesus. The one who died for us and rose again," Hudson said. "He gave me purpose and forgiveness. I am incredibly grateful of what He's done. The least I could do is be at church for Him."
The church's youth group, Remnant, is a large part of the youth life at the church. Hudson is an active participant in the group, which meets every Wednesday night to worship and hear a sermon.
"We believe that God can use anyone. No matter what your story, no matter what mistakes, God's love is bigger. Our hope is to spreads God's love to a radical decision Christ made on a cross," Hudson said. "We want to see this generation come to know Jesus Christ is a real way and be changed from the inside out. At Remnant, you will be welcomed in by awesome leaders and students, you will experience a worship experience and then sit in on a preaching of God's powerful word."
Remnant wishes to spread their message of worship and belief in Christ.
"You got questions, we got answers," Hudson said. "We welcome any one with open arms."
Hudson is still unsure about plans after high school, but his options include becoming a minister and attending Lee University in Tennessee.