Tyler Starling was born in 1995 in Richmond, Virginia and grew up there until moving to South Bend, Indiana in third grade. He discusses how the move shaped him into the person he is today. Through his first semester of college, he has grown as a person by becoming more open-minded through experiences like participating in a summer bridge program and volunteering at a re-entry facility for former inmates. He sets goals to finish the semester with a 3.5 GPA or higher and get more involved in college by joining organizations to stay on track through his four years of school.