Tyler Ventus (’19)
Business Administration & Marketing
For Tyler Ventus (’19), the path from Loras College to the Alaskan wilderness wasn’t exactly a straight line, but it led him to a career and community that feel like home.
Originally from Carol Stream, Illinois, Tyler first discovered Loras through family friends. From the moment he visited campus, something clicked. The size felt familiar, the community felt welcoming, and he quickly knew Loras was where he wanted to be.
While studying Business Administration and Marketing, Tyler originally pictured a career in industrial sales or project management. His interest in business was influenced in part by his mother’s career as a senior director at a project management office, but as he moved through his coursework, he found himself increasingly drawn to marketing and understanding what motivates and connects people. Professors Pat Marzofka and Hugh Graham also left a lasting impression, particularly through their emphasis on approaching business and marketing ethically and doing things the right way rather than simply the easy way.
Tyler also had the opportunity to put those lessons into practice while co-founding Ernie’s Holiday Nut Blend with fellow Duhawk Michael Ernster (’19). What began as an entrepreneurship class project became a real holiday business, with 55% of the profits benefiting a local Catholic charity. From making batches with friends to selling the product at Dubuque’s holiday market, the experience showed Tyler what could happen when an idea was paired with the willingness to follow through.
After graduating, Tyler entered the telecom construction industry as a project coordinator, helping manage costs and documentation for AT&T 5G tower projects. Although it was the type of professional opportunity he once thought he wanted, the high-stress environment eventually made him reconsider what he truly wanted from his career and his life.
During that same period, Tyler’s father was undergoing cancer treatment, prompting Tyler to reflect more deeply on the future. He found himself returning to a childhood dream of becoming a DNR officer inspired by family fishing trips to Wisconsin: working outdoors and helping protect the places and resources he loved.
After leaving his first career, Tyler worked at a bicycle repair shop while continuing to apply for positions with the National Park Service. Eventually, his persistence paid off when he accepted a position at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. There, he quickly discovered the kind of work environment he had been searching for, one filled with people who shared his passion for the outdoors and a strong sense of purpose.
That close-knit community immediately reminded Tyler of his experience at Loras.
“At Loras, the professors and the students, everyone had a passion for what they were setting out to do,” Tyler said. “Not everyone knew what they were going to end up doing, but everyone shared that same passion and it became a very tight-knit community. And that’s exactly what I found working for Wind Cave.”
Today, Tyler is in his fourth season with the National Park Service and his third consecutive season as a park ranger in the Interpretation Division at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska. As an interpretive ranger, Tyler helps tell the stories of the park, welcomes visitors, presents educational programs and helps people understand why the landscape is worth protecting.
The most meaningful part of his work isn’t simply the scenery. It’s helping people form their own connection to the places they visit. Whether someone remembers seeing a bear for the first time, spotting a moose along the road or simply experiencing Alaska with family, Tyler believes those personal stories are ultimately what inspire people to care about the outdoors and protect it for future generations.
That sense of connection is also one of the biggest lessons Tyler carries with him from Loras.
“There is a little bit of home everywhere you go and everyone that you meet,” Tyler shared. “You just have to look for it a little bit.”
From the friendships he formed on campus to the communities he has discovered throughout the National Park Service, Tyler continues to find pieces of home wherever his adventures take him. He has even crossed paths with fellow Duhawks while working in the parks, including an unexpected encounter with Coach Carl Tebon during his first season at Wind Cave.
Tune in to this month’s Duhawk Dozen podcast to hear more about Tyler’s journey from Loras to the National Park Service, life as a park ranger in Alaska, early-morning salmon fishing and the lessons he has learned while finding a little bit of home everywhere he goes. Congrats, Tyler!
