An inaugural recipient of the Edward Taylor Coombs Foundation’s annual scholarship, Tyler Gehlhaus began honing his leadership and athletic skills from Edward years before winning the prestigious award.
Tyler was a sophomore playing on the Hatboro-Horsham High School lacrosse team when Edward Coombs, the team’s captain, was a senior. It was the year the Hatters went to the state playoffs.
“He was electric, dynamic. He was always the best athlete out there on the field,” Tyler recalled of Edward. “I really never played with anybody as close to athletic as Eddie was. He was a tremendous leader.”
When Tyler graduated in 2012, Edward’s life had already been cut tragically short. Gone was the smile that could light up a room and the energy inherent in this star athlete and young scholar.
How the scholarship helped
In applying for and receiving the ETC Foundation scholarship, Tyler hoped to further some of the goals that Edward was unable to finish.
“The fact that it was in Edward’s name, and I was going off to do something that he was doing, and he did for one year when we lost him,” Tyler said. “I wasn’t carrying out his legacy, but I was doing something that I knew he was supposed to do.”
Unsure of his future career path, Tyler enrolled at Eastern University, a Division III school, to play lacrosse following high school. He served as the team’s captain in his senior year and was a recipient of student-athlete academic honors, including 2016 Philadelphia Inquirer Men’s Lacrosse Academic All-Area Team, 2016 Men’s Lacrosse Academic All-MAC Team, and three-time MAC Student-Athlete Honor Roll honoree (2014-2016).
“The scholarship motivated me academically and led to my success in the classroom, which led to the accolades that I received,” Tyler said.
Finding his career stride
Initially, Tyler thought he would excel in a career in education. When education courses failed to pique his curiosity, he began considering sports administration. However, Eastern did not offer that as a course of study. Recognizing that the third time is indeed a charm, Tyler found his calling in the university’s business management track. A member of the Leadership Fellows Program and a member of the Delta Mu Delta Business Honors Program, Tyler graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management in spring 2016.
He interned in athletic director roles and thought it would lead to a career, but “it never really panned out.”
For the last seven years he has worked in inside sales for the Kennedy Companies, which was recently acquired by Ferguson.
Meaning over money
Tyler, like many recipients of the Edward Taylor Coombs Foundation scholarship, sees value well beyond the monetary component of the financial awards for student scholars.
“A lot of people go for scholarships for the financial aspect,” he said. “Anytime that you can have the opportunity to not only receive compensation from a scholarship, but to kind of live the way that Edward lived and was living his life is remarkable.”
A married father of a young daughter, Tyler takes the Foundation’s penchant for responsible decision making to heart.
“You definitely think of things differently,” Tyler noted of being a parent to an 18-month-old. “I understand how parents can be worried.”
ETC Foundation – Making a difference!
Through its unwavering commitment to education and empowerment, the ETC Foundation stands as a beacon of hope, transforming lives and creating opportunities for youngsters such as Tyler Gehlhaus. Their support to teenagers like Tyler, not only fosters academic pursuits but also cultivates a spirit of resilience and ambition. The ETC Foundation’s ethos of making a difference echoes through the lives they touch, inspiring youth to strive for excellence and to pay forward the invaluable gift of education.
