Student Spotlight written by ’24 Hudson Stipp
Tyler Chelew is a sophomore at St. Vincent de Paul College Prep. In his two years of being a student at SVdP, Tyler has participated in football, basketball, and baseball. He is also a part of our school’s Associated Student Body. Despite all of the extracurricular participation, Chelew has still managed to maintain straight A’s in our College Prep curriculum, achieving a spot in the National Honor Society. Chelew is also a recipient of our Vincentian Scholar Award, which is awarded to an incoming freshman who maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout junior high. Vincentian Scholars can maintain the award throughout high school by maintaining a weighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher during their four years of attendance at St. Vincent de Paul High School.
Chelew takes his role as a student-athlete very seriously and works very hard at succeeding in both aspects. 
“As the name implies, being a student-athlete first requires one to initially be a student to compete athletically. This task could be difficult, but St. Vincent’s is well-accommodated,” Chelew said. “This support is a great help to me and other students who care about excelling in both academics and athletics.”
Chelew’s presence and willingness to lead on campus has caught the attention of Mr. Tom Bonfigli, Theology and Economics teacher, as well as the Head Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach. Mr. Bonfigli has had the privilege of both teaching and coaching Tyler and has seen first hand the exemplary person he is.
“Tyler is an exceptionally focused and excellent learner in the classroom and on his athletic teams. He holds himself to the highest standard in his work ethic and his ability to perform,” Bonfigli said. “He is a pleasure to teach and coach and his unselfish attitude makes him a real asset to the school and his teams.”
As he is active in the SV community, Chelew spends time on the road on his daily commute from Marin County. That does not stop him from being an extraordinary student and leader. There is no question that he has fit in quickly and loves the community he is so immersed in. He also feels as if this school has given him the opportunity to make lasting bonds with other students. Even though he did not have a lot of familiarity with SVdP students coming in as a freshman, he has found a comfortable belonging in the school.
“Going into SV, I knew I was not going to know many people, but that fact became unimportant almost immediately. This reality happened as everyone at the school was extremely welcoming and made me feel like I belonged there,” Chelew said. “During my first two years at SV, I realized the characteristics that make this such a great place are community, academic, and investment. It did not take me long to discover that SV was a tight-knit community.”
Being involved in many leadership roles right as Chelew stepped on campus, it has given him many skills and opportunities he feels he wouldn’t receive at other schools. Chelew was the captain of the JV Football and JV Basketball teams this year. He feels as if the opportunities in leadership and skills he has developed have set him up for the future and will lead him to success in life.
“Leadership at SV has been an overall great experience…I have discovered my leadership style and ways to improve or add to,” Chelew said. “The things I have learned through ASB can translate into my athletic, academic, and professional careers…My participation in leadership has and will make meaningful influences on my life.”
In his time at St. Vincent de Paul, Chelew has done a lot to impact our school community. Our Mustang family is thrilled to have a student like him and we look forward to what the future holds for him!