In honor of Veterans Day, we’re proud to spotlight alumnus and veteran Tyler Shears ’01 in this special Indy Insights feature.
 

At The Independence School, we often talk about our core values of respect, responsibility, and integrity.

These values shape our mission as a school, and we live them in the way we teach, learn, and treat one another. They are also reflected in our tradition of keeping school open every Veterans Day, when we take time to honor and thank those who have served.

Tyler Shears, who graduated from Independence in 2001, knows firsthand how powerful those values can be. They have helped him make important decisions and stay on course throughout his adult life. Whether as a Marine serving in Iraq, as a New Castle County police officer, as a parent, or now as Head Drill Instructor at the police academy, Tyler has leaned on the same core values he first practiced at Independence.

But it wasn’t until he recently returned to Independence as a prospective parent that he fully realized how much the school had shaped him.

“When I visited Indy, I realized that the values I learned there were the ones I have used to live my life,” he says.

Since leaving Independence, Tyler’s path has taken some interesting turns. While in high school, he returned to Indy to work in Extended Care and Summer Camp, an experience he compares to being among family again. As a high school senior, he decided to delay entering college and join the Marines, in what his father called “the first mature decision of my life.” It wasn’t long into his time as a Marine that he realized his years at Independence had already given him a leg up on most of his fellow recruits.

“I already knew how to be organized, how to be responsible for my stuff and my space. Most of the others had never learned that before they joined,” he recalls. “The attention to detail. It was a lot easier for me because I already knew it.” Tyler says that doing the right thing when no one is looking is something he learned both from his family and from his time at Independence. Tyler recalls the ways that Independence puts students in a position to be leaders and trusts them to exhibit their values. “Having that kind of integrity instilled in me gave me an unseen advantage.”

That advantage stayed with him as he trained for Fire Crash Rescue and later deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a driver in the infantry, providing security for Al-Asad Airbase. Just before his eight-month deployment, the last friend to visit him was one he had made years earlier at Independence. “Zack came all the way to Cherry Point, North Carolina. No other friend would have done that,” Tyler says. Despite living on opposite sides of the country, Tyler and Zack remain close friends today.

After returning safely from Iraq, Tyler decided to leave the Marines and complete his business degree at Goldey-Beacom College, later earning a master’s and even teaching classes to undergraduates. He also embarked on his career as a police officer. Now, as Head Drill Instructor for the New Castle County Police, Sergeant Shears trains and mentors the next generation of officers.

The message he shares with his officers, and with all young people, is to hold on to their values and let them guide their choices.

“If you have respect, integrity, and responsibility, you will succeed,” Tyler notes.

He adds that serving the community doesn’t necessarily mean putting on a uniform. “By being selfless, you serve, no matter what your job is. You can be whatever you want.”

Tyler was recently invited to return to Independence to address the community on Veterans Day, an invitation he gladly accepted. “I keep leaving Independence and coming back,” he says. “I cannot say that about any other part of my life. After all these years, it is still the bread and butter of my brain.”

Independence thanks Tyler and all of our veterans for their service.