Elevate: Tyanna Lindsey

Timothy Webb: Thank you all for joining us today here on Elevator, broadcasting from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. This National Park College podcast highlights a different Nighthawk with each episode. We'll talk about their journey, challenges, key moments of success, their moments of elevation, leveling up and overcoming. I'm Timothy Webb, your host, and I'd like to welcome to the program Tyanna Lindsey, thanks so much for joining me today. Tyanna Lindsey: Thank you for having me. Timothy Webb: All right. So Tyanna, tell us a little bit about yourself. Tyanna Lindsey: Here at NPC, I am the Student Government Association President. I am one of the captains of the Nighthawk Cheer Team, and I am also a residential assistant in the dorms. Timothy Webb: What field are you studying? Tyanna Lindsey: Psychology. Timothy Webb: Psychology. Ooh, how come psychology? Tyanna Lindsey: I just loved learning about human behavior, and the mind, and why we do what we do. Timothy Webb: How long have you been here at NPC? Tyanna Lindsey: This is my third year actually. After my first year, I changed my major from nursing to psychology, so it allowed me another year here. Timothy Webb: So you have three different titles here. You're the captain of the cheer team and you're the President of the Student Governing Association. And what was the other one you said? Tyanna Lindsey: Residential assistant in the dorms. Timothy Webb: Oh that sounds pretty interesting too. So out of those three positions, can you choose one and tell us what it entails? Tyanna Lindsey: I'll do student government. That's the biggest one that I'm involved in. So basically here on campus, we're the voice of the students. So if they have any problems or concerns that they want to bring to us, they can talk to us about it. Or if there's things on campus that people would like to see added or changed, they can bring it to us and we can push to get it to the higher ups. We also work really hard to plan events on campus so that there's things for students to do just to get students more engaged together. Timothy Webb: That sounds pretty challenging. Can you name some of the challenges that you face? Tyanna Lindsey: Time management is probably the biggest one. You have to work really hard to make sure that you get the important things done first before you can have fun. You also have to work really hard with your team, so teamwork is another one that you have to learn that sometimes people will say that they can show up and then they won't be able to show up because plans fall through sometimes. So those are probably two of the biggest ones. Timothy Webb: Yeah, I'm afraid you're going to have to get used to that. That's life in general, dealing with the people. Tyanna Lindsey: Very much so. Timothy Webb: What are some of the common myths, are there any common myths about being the president of the student body? Tyanna Lindsey: So one common thing is that people hear Student Government Association and consider it to be something super political. They hear the government part of it and they feel like it's politics and stuff like that. And it's really not like that. I mean, we have rules that we have to follow and regulations that we have to look over and make sure that we're abiding by. It's not too bad, but a lot of the times when we're trying to bring students in to join SGA, they hear it and they're like, so what is student government? And then we're talking about it and they're like, "So do you have to vote and stuff like that?" And we're like, "Well, I mean, we do have voting things, but we also like to have fun too, like regular events on campus." Timothy Webb: So you're saying there are no Republicans or Democrats in the student government body? Tyanna Lindsey: No, not at all. Timothy Webb: So Tyanna, what are some of the biggest obstacles you've had to face and overcome to get to where you are today? Tyanna Lindsey: I had to learn to step out of my comfort zone. I'm not really a big public speaker, but being in this position, I have to lead the meetings. So we have full groups of people. Sometimes there's 12 people. Sometimes we'll invite more people in. So I lead these meetings and follow an agenda and I have to speak to a lot of people. So I had to learn to talk in front of people and get over my fear of it, and going to bigger events that I usually wouldn't go to, and dressing up in super nice things that I usually wouldn't wear. It's a nice position though. I like my position. Timothy Webb: Well, I've had the opportunity to see you speak twice and I'd say I wouldn't have known that you had a issue with that at all. Tyanna Lindsey: Yeah, when I'm speaking, I always feel like people can hear my heart because I can hear it whenever I'm talking because it's always beating so fast and so loud. It's usually just that first 30 seconds, I have to get through the 30 seconds and then I'm okay. But usually my speeches take about 30 seconds, so I never have time to get over the fear that I have. Timothy Webb: I just got warmed up guys. Tyanna Lindsey: Exactly. Timothy Webb: So you were saying that public speaking is one of your biggest obstacles and that you're starting to overcome that. Can you tell us how it felt when you realized you were starting to overcome that? Tyanna Lindsey: Honestly, it's a fresh breath of air. I was telling her the other day, I did my speech and I sat down and I was like, "I can breathe again." Because before I go up there, I'm always so nervous that I feel like I'm holding my breath. And so whenever I finally get up there and I start talking and I'm able to get over the fear of it, then it just all goes so smoothly and it's always so rewarding because people are proud of me and encouraging me, telling me how good it was, and it's like, okay. So the fear was worth it to get over because there's always a reward. Timothy Webb: Right. Right. That's so true. So out of your three positions, which one is the most rewarding? Tyanna Lindsey: I would probably say SGA. Timothy Webb: SGA. Can you give us an example of some of the rewards that you feel that you receive being the SGA President? Tyanna Lindsey: Yeah. So as SGA President, it opened up a lot of opportunities for me. So whenever I first started here at National Park, I started in SGA as a at large rep, which sits in on meetings and just more observes and helps with events. Being in this position, the title of it I think is what is the most rewarding because people hear it, and I've kind of got my name out there and I've met the higher people on campus. And in May of last year I got the academic scholarship and my position was one of the things that kind of made them pay attention to me because that scholarship focused on a student that has a position on campus and is really engaged with the students. And I got that award and that has brought me to meet the governor and I got a medal and got to go to a nice little brunch. It has opened up a lot of opportunities for me and it looks really good on job applications. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. Yeah. So going that extra mile is rewarding. I mean, you do have to put in the work to be the SGA President and there's more tasks that come along with that, but as you said, there's rewards that come with it as well. Tyanna Lindsey: Very much so. It's a position that I really enjoy being in because I know that there's rewards coming out of it. A lot of people that wouldn't know my name unless I was in SGA now know my name and you get a nice little badge and stuff that says your name on it, so it's nice. Timothy Webb: So what lessons have you learned from being the SGA President? Tyanna Lindsey: Time management, teamwork, cooperating with the team for sure, because we have a school year to plan out events and we have to all agree on events that we want to do because we don't have time to do all of them. We have to reserve positions on campus and places. And there's other orgs that also have events and stuff that they have to host. So you have to learn to cooperate and be honest with your team and don't say you're going to be able to do one thing and not do it. It's just very much a position that you have to focus really hard on and make sure that you put in the effort to stay in that position. It's not just one you can come into and slack. You have to work for it, but it's worth it. Timothy Webb: Sounds like you are learning a lot about teamwork. Tyanna Lindsey: I very much am. Yeah. Timothy Webb: Is that something you also have to learn being the cheer captain as well? Tyanna Lindsey: Absolutely. We have to learn to work together. And there's times where stress gets really high because we have to learn half times and cheers and there's events that they want us to be at, so we have to make sure that everybody is on the same page and everybody knows the material. But we do performances and then we change them so that it's not the same thing over and over. And it's a lot to have to learn whenever you're involved in so much. But with time management and stuff, you can get it all sorted out. It just takes a lot. Timothy Webb: You sort of touched on this, but what achievements are you most proud of? Tyanna Lindsey: Probably becoming higher in the positions that I started out in. Like SGA, becoming president of that and the cheer team, becoming a captain in that and working really hard to stay in those positions. Becoming an RA was one of the hard things because that was a actual job you had to apply for, but you're going against a whole lot of other people, so you know you have to stick out and be that person. Timothy Webb: So Tyanna, where did you grow up? Tyanna Lindsey: Right here in Hot Springs. Timothy Webb: No kidding. Tyanna Lindsey: Very much so. Timothy Webb: What was it like growing up here? Tyanna Lindsey: I really like it. I feel like it's a peaceful area to live in. Whenever I was younger, a lot of the things that aren't as popular now were popular then. We used to have a skating rink that we no longer have, and the mall used to have a ton of stores in it. Now it doesn't have as many, but growing up it was fun. You get really close because it's not a huge town. So being here in Hot Springs, I grew up at the same school, I never moved school so I made a lot of friends there. And when we graduated, a lot of us came here. So I still had a lot of my high school friends whenever I started college. Timothy Webb: Where'd you go to high school at? Tyanna Lindsey: Lake Hamilton High School. Timothy Webb: Lake Hamilton. All right. Tyanna Lindsey: Nice school. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Can you tell us about an influential person in your life and how they impacted you? Tyanna Lindsey: I can't choose one. I have to say it's both of my parents, just because if either one of them heard, they would be on me. But my parents are probably my biggest supporters that I have. They are really good at helping to be there whenever I need them in my corner, if I'm ever having doubts about what I'm doing. They're good at helping to take things off my plate if there's something that I know I need to do, but I also have something else. They work really hard to try to help me out and be there for me. Timothy Webb: Thanks mom and dad. Tyanna Lindsey: Love them so much. Timothy Webb: Do you have any favorite childhood memories you'd like to share? Tyanna Lindsey: I'm 21 and I have a best friend that is also 21. We grew up together. We call each other our belly button friends because our moms were pregnant together. So we were raised together and we're still friends to this day. And when we were about maybe 10 or 11, we went on a cruise together with our families. And it being our first cruise was amazing, but the fact that we were on it together with our families just made it so much more fun because everything's more fun when you have your best friend. So we got to go on this cruise and go to Mexico and The Bahamas and stuff, and it was so pretty. But there was a Circle C on the cruise for the kids to go in, so we were in this little kids' club and we got little t-shirts and stuff together, but it was a really nice experience to have with her. Timothy Webb: Yeah, that sounds cool. Tyanna Lindsey: Yeah, it was really fun. Timothy Webb: If you could give your younger self any piece of advice, what would it be? Tyanna Lindsey: To stay focused. Whenever I was younger, it was always my education was there, but I really wanted to have fun with all my other friends. So if they were going out to parties, I was always wanting to party. And then as I got older, it was like the partying was, it really was not all that. I really could have just stayed focused. And as I've come to college, I'm more focused on my studies and it's paid off in the long run, and I don't party that much anymore. I need to stay focused, very much. Timothy Webb: I don't know if it's true, but it might be the case that we have to go through those things to realize that that's not what's important. Tyanna Lindsey: That's true. That is very, very true. And I feel like there's a lot of people that still struggle to see that. I still struggle to see that sometimes where there's things that I know I need to do and I'm like, okay, well I can push it off and do this instead. And I'm like, no, I need to stay focused.,Do this and then you can have fun. Timothy Webb: So what brought you here to NPC? Tyanna Lindsey: My 11th and 12th grade year of high school, they had college classes that you could take here at NPC through the department that they have over there for high school. And so I started there in the nursing department that they have over there, it was so much fun. My mom graduated from here as an RN so she was also one of those people pushing me to come to NPC. And whenever I was in high school, it was like I didn't really want to come to a smaller college. I wanted to go to something huge. And then when I started the college classes and they had built the commons, we started coming over and I was like, wow, this college is nice, the area's nice, the dorms are nice. And then I started here and I have loved every second of it. I don't ever want to leave. I have made so many friends, the staff and faculty is amazing, the food's amazing. It's a fun time. Timothy Webb: Long before the commons and even before Fred Durst, I felt the same way you just said. I didn't want to leave this college. It was such a wonderful place. Tyanna Lindsey: It is. You get close to the people here. It all feels like family. Timothy Webb: And so often I hear that, honest to God, I hear that so often here, and it's really true. Well, other than NPC, what are some of your hobbies Tyanna? Tyanna Lindsey: I really enjoy painting, listening to music, spending time with my friends. I like to go hiking with my family. We go up to the mountains. Whenever you're from a distance, they look like turtles. So every time my niece sees him, she calls it Turtle Rocks. And so we'll go up to [inaudible 00:13:18] and we'll hike there and do the trails. And they have a pretty waterfall that you can see, and there's little cabins and stuff you can stay in up there. So it's a really nice getaway, but it's just also nice to spend time with my family and enjoy the outside air. Timothy Webb: Yeah. What is it about hiking and outdoors that you love so much? Tyanna Lindsey: Freedom. I don't have to think really. It's not schoolwork and worrying about being in another place. I'm just in that moment. I get to just enjoy the time with my family and not think about what's going to happen next. You're just living. Timothy Webb: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So if you could talk to anyone from the past, present, or future, who would it be and why? Tyanna Lindsey: My granny for sure. My granny, my dad's mom. This is the one that lives in Washington, DC. Ever since I was little, she's always been the wisest person to me. She's really good at applying her situations to things that I have going on in my life. So if it's something that she's gone through, she can tell me what happened and how she overcame it. She's also really good at giving me advice and keeping me level-headed. She is also one of the people that encourages me a lot to take my own route and do what I feel like is best for me and what I see myself doing regardless of what other people say. She's one of my favorite people. She does a good job. Timothy Webb: That's awesome. So Tyanna, what's your future plans? Tyanna Lindsey: So the plan is to graduate and go to UCA and get my degree in psychology. And then after I graduate, I hope to someday have my doctorate in it. But I would like to open my own practice so I can have my own thing. Timothy Webb: So is there any mottos or quotes that you live by that sort of help guide you through life that you'd like to leave our listeners with? Tyanna Lindsey: Be yourself. And if there's something that you want to do, you should try. Always persevere and push yourself to do the things that you feel like are impossible. Because there was a lot of times throughout my life that I never really wanted to get involved in things because I was afraid of how it would turn out or if it wouldn't turn out at all. And my senior year was when I really started to step out of my comfort zone in attempt to get things. And I graduated as the vice president of my class, I became homecoming queen, and then I started college and I continued pushing to step out of my comfort zone. And I've made a ton of friends, I got the SGA position, the cheer position, the RA position. It was just a lot of stuff that wouldn't happen unless I would've stepped out of my comfort zone and pushed for myself. Timothy Webb: Absolutely. You got to go for it, don't you? Tyanna Lindsey: You do. Timothy Webb: Tyanna Lindsey, thank you so much for joining me today on Elevate. I've really appreciated it. Tyanna Lindsey: Thank you so much for having me. Timothy Webb: It's been nice talking to you. Tyanna Lindsey: You too. Timothy Webb: And thanks to all of you for listening to Elevate today from the Razorback Camper Sales Studio. New episodes are released each Thursday. Special thanks to National Park College and The Sentinel-Record for making this podcast possible. Until next time, this is Timothy Webb reminding you that every day is a chance to elevate.