SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: The Man, the Myth, the Legend….. it’s Two Seven

In the quiet, often overlooked corners of Michigan, where dreams stretch across baseball diamonds and chess boards, there’s a young man carving out a life defined by quiet determination and self-discovery. Born on June 26, 2006, in Okinawa, Japan, to a family grounded in service—his father serving in the Air Force—he’s walked a path that’s taken him across continents, states, and personal hurdles. And through it all, his biggest challenge hasn’t been geography or academics—it’s been confidence.

After moving to the U.S. at just two years old, his early years were spent in South Carolina until age 11, when his family moved to Michigan. Settling into the halls of Moorsbridge Elementary, then PC Middle School, and briefly PC High School before transferring to Hackett, he found something at Hackett that many teenagers spend years searching for: belonging. “It’s been a fun experience so far,” he says, it’s where friendships and baseball have helped shape his journey.

But fitting in wasn’t always easy—and neither was believing in himself. Growing up the youngest of three, with an older brother and sister to look up to, and a father who coached him through most of his baseball career, expectations felt heavy. His dad—a constant source of guidance and motivation—not only helped shape his baseball skills but also instilled a work ethic that’s evident in everything he does. Whether it was staying late after practice or pushing through challenging schoolwork, the lesson was always the same: show up, give your best, and believe in your ability to grow.

And yet, confidence was elusive. “Something that I guess I would say that is a struggle throughout my life is having confidence with everything,” he admits. That doubt followed him to the baseball field, where sometimes nerves would strike the hardest when he needed to focus the most.

However, one game stands out as a turning point for Kyler’s mental game. “It was a hot summer day… I was playing left field and the bases were loaded. My now friend Preston Cosby was up to the plate… he smacks the crap out of the ball and it’s coming at me. All I could think about was dropping it.” But something shifted. “I somehow had the confidence to tell myself I will catch this ball… and as soon as I knew it, the ball was in my mitt.” That moment—simple, yet powerful—became a metaphor for his journey. The look on Preston’s face? Priceless. But more than the approval of others, he had finally proven something to himself.

These days, he’s not just an outfielder and first baseman with a great glove, he’s a bowler, a juggler, a chess player, and a thinker who’s curious about the world—especially when it comes to computers. He dreams of becoming a computer engineer or web designer, and he’s already found joy in studying senior algebra, a subject he says comes naturally and is needed for his computer engineering degree. He fills his time with strategy games like chess and card games like Uno. 

Recently, he got a tattoo that means the world to him: a wolf, representing his grandfather who passed away a few years ago. “Every time I look at the tattoo, I see my grandpa staring back at me.” It’s a quiet symbol of strength, resilience, and connection—just like him.

When asked how he wants to be remembered, his answer is modest yet telling: “I want to be remembered for how easy I am to talk to… but I know I’ll be remembered by my baseball number—27.” He doesn’t seek the spotlight, but he does want to leave a mark. And as he continues to chase his dreams—whether they lead to semi-pro baseball, computer engineering, or simply staying close to home in Michigan—he carries with him something more valuable than trophies or accolades: a hard-earned sense of self.

He’s proof that confidence doesn’t always come naturally—but it can be built, moment by moment, catch by catch, step by step.