Dylon Tidyman goes above and beyond

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent
 
A senior at Newcastle High School, Dylon Tidyman is one of the youngest nominees for Person of the Year for 2019. While he’s most well-known for playing basketball and starting a woodworking business with his older brother, Bryce Hoffman said there’s something more important about Tidyman that goes above and beyond.
“In my experiences with Dylon, I have found him to be a genuinely kind person. Over the past six years, I have observed numerous examples of Dylon’s kindness. He is supportive of all of those around him, and at times, unprompted, goes out of his way to help others even when he could be doing tasks that would be more self-serving,” said Hoffman, assistant principal at Newcastle Elementary School and former woodshop teacher. 
In addition to Tidyman’s kindness, Hoffman also recognized the senior’s skill for woodworking after his first year of high school woodshop classes. 
“I could tell Dylon was a ‘think outside of the box’ kind of student. As a teacher, his unique ideas challenged me to grow professionally. He was not afraid to make mistakes, and while at times it slowed down his work, he was building a problem-solving knowledge bank,” Hoffman said.
After Tidyman purchased a lathe, what started out as “just a hobby” of making pens and key chains soon turned into something more when people wanted to buy his and his brother Bryson’s creations, Tidyman said. 
That’s when Tidyman began planning to launch Beaver Creek Custom Woodworking Business.
Hoffman said he was skeptical at first when he heard about Tidyman’s idea for a business, for fear his motivation would waiver, but because Tidyman doesn’t have a fear of failure and is willing to learn from his mistakes, he said, the business was a success. 
“As a student, I would describe Dylon as inquisitive and intrinsically motivated. When he gains an interest in a topic or skill set, he finds it within himself to explore that topic deeply,” Hoffman said. “He values efficiency and seeks out ways to improve the processes he is involved within.”
“Dylon has always strived to be the best at whatever he is attempting to accomplish,” said his dad, Jon Tidyman. “To watch him over the last 18 years has been incredible.” 
As an example of his motivation, Tidyman was asked to host a “station” for the fourth graders at the elementary school for an FFA (Future Farmers of America) project. He said he was trying to figure out what he could show in 10 minutes, so he went with a station on woodworking and allowed the kids to take turns sanding. 
Tidyman remembers that when he was in fourth grade, his favorite stations were the ones where a souvenir was given, so he decided to make wooden key chains for all the fourth graders.
“(It was) one way I was able to give back with my business,” Tidyman said. 
He believes it’s important to give back to the community because that encourages them to support him in return rather than purchasing gifts online. 
“It makes you feel really good too,” Tidyman said. 
FFA has allowed Tidyman to give back to the community in other ways, such as highway cleanups and Totes of Hope fundraisers. High School agricultural instructor and FFA advisor Taylor Rieniets said Tidyman also served in a couple of leadership roles and placed at both the state FFA and national FFA conventions. 
“I truly believe Dylon is an exceptional student and has an exciting future in front of him. He is moralistic, highly motivated and a team player,” Rieniets said. 
But the dedication doesn’t stop there. He is also a committed basketball player and has notched several notable accomplishments in his high school career. He received all-conference awards his sophomore and junior year and was selected to the 2019 all-state team.
Tidyman started playing basketball in his early elementary years through recreational programs, and he’s been doing it ever since. 
“I’ve always seemed to like it,” Tidyman said. He said he enjoys the team aspect of basketball and being able to hang out with his friends while playing the game. 
Some of his highlights include playing in the Dogie Dome with the atmosphere of excitement from cheering fans, as well as making it to the state tournament, which he hopes the team will do this year. 
“I really want to make it to state again,” Tidyman said. 
His head coach, Allen Von Eye, sees a lot of talent in the senior. 
“His athleticism is something that really sets him apart from a lot of other players. He is an incredibly natural and smooth athlete, which allows him to be successful in all phases of the game of basketball,” Von Eye said. 
While practices can be hard and it’s sometimes difficult to play through injuries, Tidyman said, he believes the pros far outweigh the cons. 
“I like the game enough, I think it’s more fun than hard,” he said. 
Tidyman doesn’t plan on ending his basketball career in high school. Although he’s not sure where, he said, he hopes to continue playing basketball in college. 
“With his skill, work ethic, coach-ability, length and drive, he has the potential to be a very good college player,” Von Eye said. “He never tires and works incredibly hard. He is also incredibly coachable, which enables him to learn and grow.”
As Tidyman wraps up his final year of high school and looks to college, he said, he hopes to pursue a career in business or real estate. 
“Being able to sell something is fun for me,” Tidyman said. 
If he pursues real estate, he wants to buy fixer-uppers, renovate and resell them, which would allow him to put his woodworking experience to use. He hopes to continue his business while in college. 
“I would hope he follows the path the Lord has put on his heart. I see him as an entrepreneurial businessman, running his own business or buying one and continuing to improve on it,” Jon Tidyman said. 
The biggest life lesson Tidyman learned in the past year, he said, was a willingness to trying new things, and he encourages others to not let fear get in the way. 
“If you’re going to regret not doing something, try it,” Tidyman said. “In the end, it’s not near as bad as it sounds.” 
Both Hoffman and Von Eye acknowledged Tidyman’s dedicated personality, and Von Eye added that he’s “very humble” and positive in any situation. 
“If we are looking for someone to represent what we desire our community members to be like, why not select someone who sets a good example for the future?” Hoffman said.