A Walk with Wyatt Sharpe

By Josie Straface

He’s tall, walks with moxie and confidence, and could be perceived as intimidating, but he has the heart to care for others in simple yet impactful ways.

Wyatt Sharpe entered college during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he refused to let the uncertainty of that time limit him.

“The best way to have a fulfilling college experience is to be involved in several aspects of campus and add every learned skill to my toolbox,” he said.

"Wyatt loves to learn and is constantly devouring books about his personal development - from leadership to personal training," Annie Cowden, a Neeley Business professor, said.

His constant eagerness to grow in every aspect of his life is the driving force to his success in the leadership space.

With graduation a semester away, Sharpe has become the leader he set out to be when he first walked through the Brown Lupton University Union arch.

His first day on campus wasn’t anything like what he’d expected.

When Wyatt Sharpe walked into Clark Hall four years ago, everyone was wearing masks and staying at least six feet apart.

It was quiet. The move-in times were so spread out, Sharpe said, it seemed like he and his roommate were the only people moving into the 214-person residence hall.

Sharpe is a member of the Class of 2024, which entered college during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students who tested positive for the virus were moved to isolation rooms. Classes were on Zoom for both the fall and spring semesters.

Instead of a first year filled with concerts, Greek life and parties, late nights in the Campus Commons and study groups in the library, much of Sharpe’s time was confined to the second floor of Clark.

Pandemic restrictions meant he often connected with people in Zoom boxes.

He spent many nights cooped up in his room—a 4-by-4 box with dirty laundry scattered across the wood floor and enough laughter to fill Amon G. Carter Stadium.

These challenges pushed him.

Wyatt Sharpe

Clark Hall (TCU Photographer)

COVID-19 testing site in front of Schollmaier Arena. (Heesoo Yang)

TCU student masked and attending class on Zoom. (TCU 360 Photographer)

Sharpe leading his group in an icebreaker. (Wyatt Sharpe)

Sharpe and co-facilitator Molly Riggs. (Wyatt Sharpe)

What it takes to be a Horned Frog

TCU encourages students to lead on-campus organizations as a way to build skills that can be used post-graduation.

“A culture of leadership and connection can be felt throughout the institution,” according to the leadership page on TCU's website.

TCU’s “Lead On” campaign is plastered all over campus and is a constant reminder to students that they are capable of leading during their time in college and beyond.

TCU's Lead On campaign that launched on the onset of the university's 150th anniversary.
TCU's Lead On campaign that launched on the onset of the university's 150th anniversary.

Sharpe’s first experience with leadership came in the form of a new student staple, Frog Camp.

“A TCU tradition since 1993, Frog Camp provides incoming students with an opportunity to make new friends, experience TCU spirit and learn what it takes to be a Horned Frog,” all things Sharpe wanted to embody.

Sharpe didn’t have the full Frog Camp experience because of the pandemic. There were no grimy games, visits to the Fort Worth Zoo or outdoor living in Colorado.

Instead, there were four camps on-campus, which were two days each and one virtual camp.

Most of the campers' time was spent participating in ice breaker games and having conversations six feet apart.

But becoming involved with the camp as a facilitator at the end of his first-year was key to his development as a campus leader. It brought the opportunity to mentor and guide incoming students starting their college journeys in a way he hadn’t experienced.

Sharpe has facilitated a double-digit number of camps since that first summer and he attributes Frog Camp as the kickstart to his growth as a leader.

Co-facilitator Molly Riggs said “Wyatt was patient, kind, approachable and inclusive to not just his campers, but to everyone attending Frog Camp.”

He led campers and other leaders by example and brought his strong leadership style to every session he was a part of.

The new normal

In the fall of his sophomore year, masks were still required, but a “new” normal was settling on campus.

Students seated in the lawn chairs back in the Campus Commons was the onset of real change in Sharpe’s experience.

After participating in Frog Camp, he wanted to lead in other ways on TCU’s campus.

Feeling rather uninvolved, Sharpe set out to take advantage of every opportunity that presented itself for potential personal growth.

Sharpe started on a path of developing a growth mindset, which would impact his college experience in ways he didn’t expect.

Socially distanced lounging areas in the Commons. (TCU 360 Photographer)

Unchartered territory

He found himself in the packed recreation center for his daily workout when a couple of coaches presented the opportunity to join the cheerleading team.

With very little experience, he made the decision to join. Signing on to an unfamiliar sport forced Sharpe to tune in to himself and develop his personality into that of a leader, even in a state of discomfort.

Sharpe started as someone who had never stunted and is finishing his college cheerleading career as a team captain.

He became comfortable learning and leading simultaneously, a difficult quality to develop, his teammate and sister, Ella Sharpe said.

He is often the last one left practicing in an empty gym, only accompanied by the turf fields and sweat dripping from his forehead.

Wyatt Sharpe cheering on the Frogs. (TCU Cheer)

Wyatt Sharpe on TCU Cheer media day. (TCU Athletics)

Thoughtful and Impactful

Neeley School of Business fountain. (TCU Photographer)
Neeley School of Business fountain. (TCU Photographer)

Academically, Sharpe took a leap of faith by applying to the BNSF Neeley Leadership Program.

He sat across from a panel of stern leaders in his best suit. They would decide whether he would be a part of NLP, a cohort of business students working toward progressing in leadership both personally and professionally.

NLP professors and students. (Neeley Mentorship Program)
NLP professors and students. (Neeley Mentorship Program)

“I applied to NLP with no expectations or even a thought that I would actually get in,” Sharpe said.

He further proved to himself that he was capable of things he never saw himself achieving by adding the big allen wrench that is NLP to his toolbox.

Collaborating with other students and faculty has allowed him to evolve into a thoughtful and impactful leader.

Helena Jefferson, a classmate and peer to Sharpe, said his presence during a leadership project last year was pivotal to their group’s success and that the final deliverable would not have reached its full potential without his guidance.

His professors agree that he makes those around him better people and leaders.

"His motivation is personal growth and this is reflected in the quality of work he does and how he communicates in class. As a result, he helps everyone to learn and his peers listen when he speaks," Lance Bettencourt, an NLP professor, said.

Along with his involvement in NLP, he is also a Name, Image and Likeness Athlete Coach. This endeavor is yet another contribution he makes to TCU's community.

He counsels student athletes on NIL concepts and ways that the rather new topic affects them, connecting two vital aspects of his life, athletics and business.

Wyatt with his fellow TCU Name, Image and Likeness Coaches. (Sharon Ellman)
Wyatt with his fellow TCU Name, Image and Likeness Coaches. (Sharon Ellman)

On a deeper level

His sister, Ella Sharpe, said that one of her favorite qualities about Wyatt is how intentional he is about getting to know people he interacts with on a daily basis.

“Wyatt always makes sure to ask the Common Grounds employee how his morning is and then truly listens," Ella Sharpe said. "This may seem simple but I don’t see this quality much in our generation anymore.”

While strengthening his leadership abilities, he is also an involved member of the community and serves TCU’s campus and Fort Worth with passion.

Sharpe’s best friend and roommate, Ben Cowley said “Wyatt has the incredible ability to connect with people from all walks of life, which makes him so unique.”

Oftentimes, people immediately find a friend in him and recognize his distinctive ability to make the people around him better in some aspect of their own lives.

“When I met him, I quickly realized he was a guy I wanted to surround myself with,” Cowley said.

Of all his positive personality characteristics, Sharpe said that his awareness of his faults and acknowledgement of them is a factor that helps him lead in a way that serves others.

“I try to practice what I preach and I hope that’s the main quality others see in me,” Sharpe said.

He describes himself as stubborn but his strong growth mindset has led him to being an involved and contributing member to every group he’s worked tirelessly to be a part of.

Sharpe has been able to make connections and build relationships with like-minded people, which he believes will help him transition to post-college life and a career in finance.