Orlando, FL
Gender
Male
Hobbies and interests
Music
Data Science
Environmental Science and Sustainability
Shopping And Thrifting
Mathematics
Social Justice
Coding And Computer Science
French
Computer Science
French Horn
Crocheting
Reading
Classics
Realistic Fiction
LGBTQ
Literary Fiction
Science
Social Science
I read books multiple times per month
Tyler Audino
1,165
Bold Points2x
Finalist1x
WinnerTyler Audino
1,165
Bold Points2x
Finalist1x
WinnerBio
Hi! My name is Tyler Audino and I'm a student at the University of Florida. I am pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Statistics, intending to become a Data Scientist or Software Engineer. I dream to be involved in valuable data analysis and software development to aid research that will inform and educate society in areas such as climate change, public transportation, and diversity & equity.
Beyond my desire for research, I am an adamant believer in activism to achieve change. I am transgender and queer myself and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights through protests and organization involvement. Other passions of mine include climate change, voting reform, and ending racial disparity. The world will not change unless people enact and call for change.
Additionally, I am heavily involved in music. I've played French horn for seven years, play Mellophone and trumpet on occasion, and previously sang in high school chorus. Music is my most cherished extracurricular activity, and I am a past member of the UF Gator Marching Band.
Thank you for taking the time to review my profile, I am extremely grateful for the opportunities given to me that allow me to pursue my dreams.
Education
University of Florida
Bachelor's degree programMajors:
- Computer Science
Minors:
- Statistics
GPA:
3.8
Lake Nona High School
High SchoolGPA:
4
Viera High School
High SchoolGPA:
4
Miscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Master's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Computer Science
Career
Dream career field:
Data Science
Dream career goals:
Senior Earth Data Scientist
Front Desk Assistant
University of Florida Student Activities and Involvement2022 – Present2 yearsIndependent Online Seller
Depop2018 – 20235 yearsDrum Major & Section Leader
Sound of the Lions2021 – 20221 yearTreasurer
Science National Honor Society - Lake Nona High School2020 – 20211 yearVice President
Nona Science2020 – 20211 yearPresident & Co-Founder
QSTEM (Queer in STEM)2020 – 20222 yearsPresident
Science National Honor Society - Lake Nona High School2021 – 20221 yearCrew Trainer
Culver's2020 – 20211 year
Research
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
Brevard Intracoastal Science Fair / Florida SSEF — Researcher2017 – 2019
Arts
Fightin' Gator Marching Band
Music2022 – PresentViera Wind Ensemble
Music2018 – 2019OCPS All County Band
Music2020 – 2021Lake Nona Sound of the Lions
MusicFantasia Espanola (2019), Dare Mighty Things (2021)2019 – 2022Lake Nona Singers
Music2021 – 2022Lake Nona Wind Ensemble
Music2019 – 2022Viera Marching Hawks
MusicScheherazade (2018)2018 – 2019
Public services
Volunteering
Lake Nona High School — Chemistry Tutor2019 – 2020Volunteering
Learn with Lions — Tutor2022 – 2022Volunteering
Second Harvest Food Bank — Volunteer2020 – 2022
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Philanthropy
Entrepreneurship
Gay's Den Scholar Award
My gender transition was school-wide knowledge throughout my 7th-9th grade years. Due to the public nature of transitioning, I constantly worried that transphobic peers or staff would cause me harm; going into bathrooms and locker rooms made me anxious; I struggled to stick up for myself against anti-trans criticism. I was vulnerable and had few resources to reinforce my confidence in my identity. Then, as a sophomore, I moved to a new school where no one had seen me transition. After a few years of enduring the realities of being an out transgender teen, I was confident that I wanted to go “stealth”—or pretend to be cisgender—at my new school.
In this new environment, I was elated that none of my peers knew I was anything other than the cisgender boy I wanted so badly to be. Refusing to acknowledge my identity had suffocated me before I began transitioning, but it was now ignorantly comforting. Being stealth was a concrete barrier that separated me from fear and anxiety and allowed me to avoid confronting my truth in a vulnerable environment. I avoided transphobia and harassment and could enter gendered areas without caution. Merely existing at school was easy now.
During the first few months at my new school, I struggled to find true friends. All of the relationships I made felt superficial or disingenuous. I could not figure out why. When I befriended Ollie, another trans student who transferred to my biology class, I realized why I struggled to assimilate. I came out to Ollie after they had come out to me, which sparked a deep bond that I had yet to experience after moving. The joy felt after making another queer friend and connecting through our shared trans experience made it apparent what I was missing out on.
What I had not considered before building my stealth barrier was that although it protected me from the worst experiences of being queer, it prevented me from the best. This structure separated me from true authenticity and building genuine relationships. I had assumed I could remain authentic while denying myself the expression of one of my most fundamental identities. Complete authenticity about my identity—especially my transgender identity—was what I needed to develop veracious relationships. My friendship with Ollie was the hammer that empowered me to chip away at the barrier hiding my identity.
I slowly began to mention my trans identity with acquaintances and was surprised to be met with overwhelming support. With each person I came out to I felt safer existing openly at my school, and it became easier to exist transparently. I connected with many other LGBTQ+ students and found a community that taught me the importance of existing unapologetically as a trans and queer person.
The newfound confidence in my trans identity made me desire to be to others what Ollie and my LGBTQ+ friends were to me. By the end of my senior year, I was one of the most well-known students at my school, and nearly everyone knew I was transgender.
I refuse to hide my identity and make a point to be as openly transgender as possible so that I can show others that being queer is a wonderful thing. Existence is resilience, and by taking up space and existing unapologetically as a trans and queer teenager, I pay homage to my past self and all the LGBTQ children who live in a society that encourages them to hide. My barrier has been hammered away to nothingness. In the span of a few years, my biggest insecurity has become my most cherished identity.