In this recurring monthly special, Nonahood News will be featuring those who’ve graduated from Lake Nona High School and will recognize the achievements they’ve made since. Some will have been a part of the first graduating class. Others might have graduated a few years later. Few have stayed in the Lake Nona area, and many have explored the world or are still doing so. Let’s see where life’s journey has taken them so far!

Name: Tyler Arrington
Age: 24
Year Graduated: 2012
Occupation: Actor and Creative Arts Educator
Current Location: New York, NY

Meet Tyler Arrington. He and his family made the move to Lake Nona back in 2004, right before Christmas. “My mother decided to move to Lake Nona to take advantage of the neighboring schools and safe community. We moved to North Shore on December 24, 2004. I made my move to New York on August 12, 2012. My parents remained in North Shore until 2017.”

This month’s alumni is a hopeful young man full of big dreams who is quickly on his way to accomplishing each and every one of them. “As my high school experience was coming to a close, it was my goal to move to New York and pursue an education in the field of performing arts, particularly in film and television. I wanted to use that education to eventually become a working actor in the city.”

He continues to explain what it was like diving head first into the “Big Apple” and working toward accomplishing his goals and dreams with the help of the founder of the school he attended. “I auditioned for the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in Orlando before being accepted and receiving a scholarship to attend. The institution had a two-year program that rigorously drilled skills to incorporate on a film/television set, and if you proved able and skilled, you would be invited for the second year. As my second year concluded, I received a call from the founder and president of the school, the late Joan See, informing me that she took the time to share my work from school with agencies and talent management offices around the city, which she had never done before. Two months after graduation, I signed with Invictus Entertainment and have been auditioning since. Along with Invictus, I am also signed with Stewart Talent Agency as of 2017.”

Arrington realizes there is still a lot of work to do and effort to be made as he elaborates a bit and brings us on his journey to where he is now, including both rejection and success. “Since signing with Invictus, I never really understood the extent of rejection when auditioning for projects. I mostly audition for television shows that are casting out of New York or Los Angeles. The opportunities that I’ve had are something to be grateful for because a lot of actors in this city don’t have the same chances, and that can be hard on people. I receive projects to compete for series regular roles and sometimes starring roles, and I don’t take a single audition for granted, but to this day, I haven’t booked a single project. I’ve been represented for almost five years and haven’t been told, ‘You got the part.’ I have gotten down to the last possible callback for network television shows and still came up short,” Arrington continues with purpose. “It is a difficult profession to break into, but there is nothing else that can test your character like dealing with rejection. I use it as fuel to keep going and discover ways to improve. That’s where I am now, and that’s where I will be until I get where I want to be.”

Dealing with the daily battles of living in such an “always-on-the-go” city and a dog-eat-dog business, Arrington still manages to have fun. “My daughter is about to be seven months old, and I love taking her to new places around the city that we can both discover together. I also play soccer on the weekends in Riverside Park by the water.”

Flash forward five years, and Arrington still has big goals for himself alongside his persistent determination. “In five years, I see myself getting my daughter ready for kindergarten, hoping to incorporate the skills she’s taught at home. I’m also hoping that within that time span, I’m able to say that there was a casting director or a director that decided that I was right for their vision, and that pays dividends for myself as well as my family.”

Although he has yet to land any roles, he reminisces on a milestone he never would’ve imagined for himself … Broadway. “I don’t want to name productions, but I had the opportunity a few months ago to audition for a Broadway production coming to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre that I went in for multiple times for different characters in this play. It was my first Broadway audition and I ultimately came up short, but I never thought there would be a time when I would be a candidate to feature on a Broadway stage. All I can do is continue to take advantage of these opportunities and hope the results go my way.”

As his time in New York continues day by day, his experience within his career will only continue to grow. Arrington plans to focus on setting an example for his daughter through his dedication and consistency. “At this point in my life, my goal is to be consistent. I’m someone who aims for perfection in myself. That attitude can be a great ally but can also serve as a foe. I’m hoping that I can find balance in those conflicting feelings so that it’s not clouding my vision for the future. I’d like to focus on being an active force in my daughter’s life, and instead of preaching a father’s sentiment of not giving up when things are hard, to show her the result of the hard work that’s done.”

Written for current and future Lake Nona alumni by a Lake Nona alumna. Check back in our October issue to learn about our next Nona graduate(s)!