Local Football Star Graduates from Exclusive Leadership Course for Youth in Foster Care

August 25, 2021

Vero Beach – Vero Beach High School graduate Tyler Wrenn is heading to college this fall on a football scholarship. But he made a quick stop this summer to a prestigious, invitation-only, leadership training.

Tyler, a young man who uses his experience in the foster care system to help others, was selected to attend the Dale Carnegie Institute, a training course designed to teach and improve leadership skills.

More than 70 students – all young people in the state’s foster-care system – applied. But in the end, only 20 were invited.

“I loved it,” Tyler said. “It gave me great key details on how to approach people in more of an understanding way.”

The training was hosted by the Selfless Love Foundation, an organization established to help find adoptive homes for children in foster care and to help young people in care advocate on their own behalf.

Selfless Love Foundation offers the high-level leadership training to foster youth involved in local youth councils and who participate in youth advocacy, said foundation executive director Elizabeth Wynter.

During the six-week training, students worked on building self-confidence, keeping stress and worry in perspective, disagreeing agreeably and persuasive storytelling.

Tyler is using his story to help encourage others to become foster and adoptive parents, especially to teens. Adopted shortly before his 18th birthday, Tyler met his adoptive family through football.

“My adoptive dad was my football coach and he and his wife took interest in me and eventually adopted me and loved me unconditionally.

“I was a troubled kid, but they helped me change my life around.”

Tyler said he went from a 2.3 GPA to consistent A’s in high school. He will attend North Central College this fall.

For more than 100 years, Dale Carnegie has helped companies of all sizes become more productive by offering courses ranging in topics from public speaking to leadership.