At first glance, Tyler Thurman looks like someone who belongs on a football field. Strong, tall, built for the offensive line, he played for years, following a path many assumed he’d stick with. But during his sophomore year at Macomb High School, something changed.

"I realized football wasn’t for me," Tyler says. "I never felt that adrenaline rush that other players talked about. It just didn’t feel like where I was meant to be."

So, he made a bold decision: he left the sport behind. In its place, he found something that would take him further than he ever imagined—Scholastic Bowl.

When Tyler stepped into his first Scholastic Bowl competition, he wasn’t sure what to expect. It wasn’t a sport in the traditional sense—there were no helmets, no tackles, no roaring crowds. But there was a strategy. There was competition. There was the thrill of knowing the answer before anyone else did.

"I kind of found myself there," he says. "It was different from anything I’d ever done, but it just clicked."

That first year, Macomb’s team made it to Small School Nationals and placed 13th in the country. Inspired by the experience, Tyler threw himself into studying, spending the summer between sophomore and junior year preparing for his next shot.

His dedication paid off. As a junior, Tyler became one of the top individual scorers in the nation, securing fourth place out of 500 competitors. His leadership and performance helped his team qualify for state and return to nationals.

Now in his senior year, Tyler is the team captain and president, using his experience to mentor younger teammates. "I want to make sure that Macomb’s program continues to grow after I graduate," he says. "We’ve always been strong, but I want to help take it to the next level."

Tyler’s academic excellence extends far beyond Scholastic Bowl. A dedicated student, he’s taken rigorous coursework, including AP Calculus, AP English, and dual-credit philosophy and statistics. He’s always had a natural curiosity, particularly when it comes to science and engineering.

"I’ve always been fascinated by nuclear fusion," he says. "As a kid, I was the one reading encyclopedias, studying space, learning about stars. And fusion is the closest thing we have to replicating that power here on Earth."

That passion has led him toward a future in electrical engineering, specifically in power and energy systems. He’s applied to Purdue, Wisconsin-Madison, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, hoping to land at a top engineering program.

"I want to be part of the future of energy," he says. "There’s so much happening with alternative energy, storage, and nuclear technology—it’s an exciting field to be in."

For all his success in STEM fields and academic competitions, there’s another side to Tyler that many might not expect—music.

He’s been part of Macomb’s choir program for six years, competing in solo and ensemble contests and earning recognition at All-Region Choir three times.

"Music has always been a part of my life," he says. "It’s different from everything else I do, and I love that contrast."

His ability to balance so many different interests is something he credits to the support of his parents—who, at first, weren’t so sure about his decision to leave football.

"They were skeptical at first," Tyler admits. "But once they saw how much I loved Scholastic Bowl, they became my biggest fans. My dad even started keeping score at our tournaments. Now he’s really into it."

As Tyler reflects on his time in Macomb, he’s grateful for the small-town community that has supported him.

"Macomb is a hidden gem," he says. "From the outside, people might not think much of it. But growing up here, I’ve always felt at home. It’s the kind of place where people support each other, where you feel like you matter."

That sense of community, paired with the academic opportunities provided by both Macomb High School and Western Illinois University, has given him a foundation that he believes will carry him forward.

Now, as he prepares for his next chapter, Tyler is excited for what lies ahead—but he won’t forget where he came from.

"Macomb gave me the chance to figure out who I really am," he says. "And that’s something I’ll always be grateful for."