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Red-shirting—when an athlete is withdrawn from college sporting events for a year to develop their skills and extend their period of eligibility by an additional year—is particularly common for student athletes from the early 2020s. With many of their careers put on pause due to COVID-19, most student athletes have the chance to keep competing while pursuing graduate degrees.

For Tyler Kocak, BA Integrative Studies ’24, that extra year of eligibility gave him the chance to pursue a second degree: an MEd in secondary education.

Kocak, who received the John R. Linn Memorial Award for Outstanding Student Athlete from the College of Education and Human Development, plans to cross the stage at the Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony.

What inspired you to go into teaching?

My brother got me into it initially. He’s a teacher, and he said he liked it, so I thought I might like it, too. I have a passion for changing the future and impacting kids. In secondary education, I can build relationships with the students and support them along their journey to shape their futures. And I chose history and social science as my focus because I’m a big history junkie.

What brought you to George Mason?

I’m from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and I was recruited for wrestling at George Mason. That was a big factor, but I also liked the area a lot, and I liked the academics.

What’s something you learned from wrestling that translated to your teaching?

Working hard is number one. If you don’t work hard, you’re not going to get where you want to be. You have to roll with the punches: If something doesn't go well or doesn’t go your way, you have to keep going forward, keep moving. Wrestling is a lot about mindset and mentality. I’m a pretty optimistic person, so I always try to look on the bright side of things and work toward improving myself, improving my teaching, and improving my wrestling. Improvement is all about consistency, too, so I learned to take those little steps forward each time to get better and reach my goals.

What is your greatest accomplishment from your time at George Mason?

I’ve competed nationally a lot. I placed 6th at the Mid-American Conference (MAC); I won a tournament; I made it to round 12 at Midlands Championship, which is a big tournament; and others. And I was on the MAC Honor Roll and was a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American.

What advice would you give to a first-year student at George Mason?

Never give up. Work hard and manage your time well. Stay ahead of the course, and plan ahead instead of falling behind. If you do fall behind, contact your professors. And if you’re an athlete coming in, try to build a good relationship with your coaches and teammates.

What are your current plans for post-graduation?

I want to teach history and social science somewhere in Fairfax County. Maybe I’ll end up doing special education. And I want to coach high school wrestling.Ìý
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