Tyler Regan
Hanover Park High School
Character Counts Student
for Marking Period 2

By Lauren Fazzio

        “I think good character is always having not only the willingness to, but the initiative to do the right thing,” said Hanover Park High School junior Tyler Regan, “even when it’s not convenient, and even when people don’t expect you to do it.”  Regan’s words prove why the school awarded him the title Character Counts Student of marking period two. 

Son of Cynthia and Michael Regan of Florham Park, Tyler Regan is universally admired by students and faculty alike.  Aside from leaving a positive mark in the classroom, Regan also plays for Hanover Park boys’ soccer and actively participates in FBLA and on the Forensics and Debate team.

“I have known Tyler for three years and in that time have never heard him utter a word of negativity or criticism towards another person,” said Forensics and Debate advisor Melissa Yingling.  “He holds himself to high standards but is incredibly empathetic and giving towards other people.”

Yingling called Regan a “gentleman in every sense of the word.”  “He is courteous, polite, and behaves honorably in all situations,” she said.

Of all his HP activities, soccer has taught Regan the most. “The first experience I ever had in high school was with the soccer team,” Regan said.  “Ever since I was a freshman, I’ve always looked up to the upperclassmen as really great role models, as people I wanted to be like.  They always set a good example of character and persistence.”

Regan attributes much of what he learned to the seniors on the team, especially the captains.  “All the seniors embodied one of the important things about a being on a team,” Regan explained.  “They made all the people around them better people, better players, and better competitors.  It’s an experience that has really stayed with me since freshmen year, and I hope it stays with me for the rest of my life.”

Head boys’ soccer coach Brian Evans calls Regan a “great teammate.”  “He is respected among his peers.”  Evans explained Regan’s “willingness to learn” and noted that Regan asks questions to “understand what will make him a better player.”

Assistant boys’ soccer coach Brian Propfe, who is also Regan’s guidance counselor, calls him “the utmost professional and role model here at HP.”  “Whether on the soccer field or in school, Tyler is often the first person to volunteer or lend a hand,” Propfe said.

In Regan’s eyes, however, it is Hanover Park that has been lending a hand to him.  “I’ve been very blessed by the people that are around me,” he said.  “The students, the faculty and the administration have all been so caring and willing to always help people whenever they need it.”

“I think we have a very good sense of community here at Hanover Park,” he continued, “and the people here really look out for each other.”

When he graduates in 2013, Regan seeks a school with a sense of community like Hanover Park that is also strong in academics.  Villanova University and Boston College are high on his list. 

But fortunately, the Hive still has a year with Regan on campus, and he knows his work is not over.  “As a senior –whether it’s on the soccer team, or in the classroom, or anywhere in the school or outside of the school—I want to be that role model that the seniors were to me,” he said. 

“I want to show people not just right from wrong, but good decisions from bad,” said Regan, “and what it means to go out of your way to do something for someone else.”