Ty is devoted to the human heart. Period.

Whether this heart is white or brown or black, living in the United States or Guatemala, his life’s work is mending the human heart and creating a community and culture where that heart can beat stronger than it did before in an environment that is safe, supported, and steadfast in love.

Ty’s personal mission is to change the educational and professional culture in Guatemala. He is living there full time, knees deep in the nonprofit he created when he saw a need in a country he loves for a people he now calls family. He seeks to change lives by ensuring all people equal access to education and business opportunities that will allow them to live to their full potential.

Ty’s efforts in Guatemala started with a nonprofit he created after college, pur[SHOE]ing Joy, in which he and his cofounder, Shelby Ausband collected and delivered 22,000 pairs of shoes over four years for children in Guatemala who were not allowed to receive an education if they did not have shoes to wear to school. Despite filling the shoe requirement, financial resources still barred most children from attending school, so Ty and his cofounder started Project Apoyo, a unique nonprofit that connects donors with students and families in Guatemala by allowing sponsorships for school meals, tuition, family business ventures, and a village bakery business. Through Project Apoyo Ty has impacted the lives of hundreds of people in Guatemala, as well as the sponsors who are now intimately invested in his cause.

He is blind to limitations. When living abroad on another continent, in another country, with a language barrier, he did not isolate himself or close his eyes and heart in refusal to acknowledge the reality of his surroundings. He fused himself with the culture and the people he met. He planted his heart directly in the soil and began to cultivate a brighter future for those less fortunate than he.

This donation would mean everything. It would totally transform the resources available to Ty and his team in Guatemala. Meal plans for students could be improved upon to include healthier options, business ventures for local families could be enhanced with updated technology, classroom amenities and conditions could be improved greatly with new supplies, books, and resources for students and teachers, and the overall mission of Project Apoyo would be leant the precious financial freedom to focus more on the WHO and less on the HOW.

Each story is submitted into one of six categories: Courage, Leadership, Survival, Devotion, Character and Heroism. The top five finalists to receive the most votes in each category will be considered for a category prize of $5,000. Our award-winning panel of judges will then evaluate the top 10 nominees across all categories to determine the winner of the Eagle Rare Life Award and the $50,000 Grand Prize, which will be donated to the charity or cause of the winner’s choice.

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– Guest Blogger, Virginia Drago Kinnier