Posted on Friday, July 26, 2024
Growing up in an agricultural family, you can say Trade Policy Officer Caleb Tyler ’21 is in his element, pursuing a federal government career he has envisioned since he was a LaGrange College student.
“Agriculture was something my parents and I bonded over,” he said. “We were all involved in 4-H, and my dad currently works in the international poultry export industry. My experience studying political science and working on Capitol Hill provided me with a valuable understanding of the political elements involved in international policy making.”
Tyler, who started his new position in March, works within the Western Hemisphere Division of the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
“My role as a trade policy officer is to serve as the Washington D.C.-based counterpart for the agricultural attaché based in the countries of my assigned portfolio, which are made up of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile,” he said. “I am the central point of contact for agricultural issues within those countries. I also facilitate communication and information gathering between USDA Commodity Divisions, FAS Leadership, the U.S. trade representative, Department of State, Foreign Embassies in D.C. and U.S. Embassies in my portfolio countries.”
While most of his time will be spent at USDA headquarters in D.C., there will be occasions when he will travel to his assigned countries for high-level meetings and other in-country events.
“This position allows me to immerse myself in trade policy and be a part of advancing U.S. agricultural interests on a global scale,” Tyler said.
Prior to his current role, he worked as a scheduling director for Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and a scheduler for Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA). At the time, he was attending American University in Washington, D.C., where he received a Master of Arts in International Economic Relations with a concentration in Trade Policy.
“These opportunities enabled me to understand the bureaucratic processes of the federal government and proved valuable when understanding how to advance goals under my new role,” Tyler said.
Setting a foundation
Just as a proper environment helps crops be at their best, LaGrange College was the perfect setting for Tyler to grow and flourish for his future career.
“I initially became interested in LaGrange College after receiving an offer to join the tennis team,” he said.
“However, after touring campus, meeting professors and learning more about the institution, I realized that LC could offer me even more outside of athletics. The appeal of being able to play the sport I love while also pursuing other extra-curricular and academic interests brought me to LC.”
As a student, Tyler was heavily involved on campus, serving as an SGA Senator, Presidential Student Ambassador, Resident Advisor and member of Delta Tau Delta and the Student Athletic Advisory Council.
In the classroom, he learned the importance of time management when balancing his extracurricular commitments with a rigorous courseload.
“These experiences prepared me to manage a variety of responsibilities in my career and perform at a high-level no matter the challenge,” Tyler said.
He also benefitted from the low student-to-teacher ratio, which allowed him to have more one-on-one time with his professors.
“Having professors who knew me by name and encouraged my personal development made all the difference for me,” Tyler said. “They gave me the freedom to pursue other academic interests outside of my Political Science major. I did this by adding minors in Spanish and International Business, which provided valuable language skills and cultural awareness.”
Seizing every opportunity
Tyler lives each moment with one simple quote: “Seize the Day.”
“My dad used to say it to me before I left for school every day,” he said. “It’s a simple reminder to make the most out of every day because you won’t get that time back.”
In the future, Tyler’s goal is to continue his work with the Foreign Agriculture Service as a foreign service officer, which would allow him to serve as an agricultural attaché in one of the U.S. embassies abroad.
Why LaGrange College?
“LC gives students the opportunity to pursue an exciting academic career without sacrificing extracurricular interests,” Tyler said. “The ability to pursue a multitude of clubs and sports allows students to enhance their collegiate experience that in return can also lead to a more fruitful academic success. Professors value personal relationships with their students so that they can support you in and out of the classroom, whether that is on the field, court or stage.”
10-Kevin Shirley, History
11-Lyn Perry, Education
12-Colleena Collins, Exercise Science
12-Breana Sumpter, Athletics (Flag Football)
13-Stacey Ernstberger, Mathematics
17-Tony Talbert, Athletics (Football)
24-Kelton Hunt, Music
25-Andy Geeter, Advancement (Development)
30-Vickie Evans, Administrative Assistant
30-Brian Peterson, Vice President for Academic Affairs
31-LaQuentin Taylor, Athletics (Football)
Athletics
A total of 78 student-athletes were named All-Academic Conference recipients by the Collegiate Conference of the South. To be eligible for the honor, student-athletes had to have at least a 3.30 grade-point average during the 2023-24 academic year. Of those recipients, 16 earned placements on the Presidents’ Honor Roll after posting at least a cumulative 3.90 GPA.
Softball
The Softball program was named a recipient of the CCS Spring 2024 Team All-Sportsmanship Award. It recognizes teams that display outstanding sportsmanship.
Men’s Golf
Juniors Jeremy Edmunds, Martin Prlender and Eli Rogers earned 2023-24 NCAA Division III Cobalt Golf All-America Scholar honors.
Men’s Basketball
Panther student-athletes Gabe Cofield '24, Grant Evans '24 and Tayshawn Pendleton ’25 were named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court this summer. To be eligible, junior, senior and graduate student men's basketball players had to earn a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
The Men’s Basketball program was also honored as the recipient of the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. To meet the requirements, member schools needed to have a team GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Women’s Basketball
LC recently announced the hiring of Destiny Lane-Frazier as the Women’s Basketball Head Coach. Prior to arriving at LaGrange, she worked as the strength and conditioning coach for the Berry College Women’s Basketball team.
Destiny Lane-Frazier takes over as LaGrange College women’s basketball coach, LaGrange Daily News, July 20
Alumni Spotlight: Nina Bradford '18
Does LaGrange College prepare its graduates for career success? Nina Bradford '18 would answer an emphatic "Yes." Employed today by SS&C Technologies as a Senior Fund Accountant, Nina, as soon as she stepped on campus, found the support she needed to confidently begin her journey.
Category: College, Academics
Keywords: Government, Agriculture
