By Emily Spies
Copy Desk
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Transplanted from the small city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, junior atmospheric science student Tyler Moore has created his niche as an exceptional student athlete at UNC Asheville, where his efforts and remarkable talents have not gone unnoticed.
Recently nominated and inducted into the Order of Pisgah, Moore earned a high honor few are privileged to receive.
“You’re not in that because of who your parents are or how big your bank account is or what high school you went to or what sports team you’re on,” said Mathes Mennell, head men’s soccer coach at UNCA. “They choose the best and brightest ambassadors for the University of North Carolina Asheville.”
Each year, a minimum of two people are selected as recipients of the Order of Pisgah. These carefully chosen candidates earn the high honor through notable achievements within their field of study at UNCA.

“It’s a program that you’re recommended to go into, and I think it just speaks on Tyler’s personality, it speaks on his values, it speaks on him as a person in general,” said Zak Davis, assistant coach for the men’s soccer team. “I think it’s a terrific honor for him and he’s very happy about it. It just shows that he’s an outstanding young man.”
Moore was drawn to UNCA for its atmospheric science track and athletics department. He said there are few schools that offer both soccer and meteorology, which made attending UNCA an easy choice. For Moore, meteorology was the only career he could envision himself pursuing.
Moore said he has been intrigued with the weather for as long as he can remember.
“If it’s snowing, I have to be outside, if there’s a thunderstorm, I have to be outside. I was so fascinated by it that I always wanted to study it,” Moore said.
Moore is able to keep up with his studies and soccer through careful scheduling and strict time management. He said time management is the most important part of success as a student athlete and you must find a balance between academics, sports and your social life.
When Moore is not goalkeeping or studying, he said he likes to explore and experience the area’s natural beauty and its eclectic character. When he visited Asheville and UNCA for the first time, he said he fell in love with the city and its people.
“When I look at this school and I walk around campus and I see all these different personalities and all these different people that bring so much to the school, and then I go downtown and I see all these personalities, all this great food and the mountains surrounding it,” Moore said. “It makes it a really unique place.”
As a student athlete, Moore said he has learned important life values that he will continue to carry with him. He said being an athlete and a teammate is a huge part of his education at UNCA.
“I’ve learned how to be a team player, I’ve learned how to respect others and work well with others and communicate better with others,” Moore said. “When you’re part of a team, if the team is struggling or individuals are struggling, you have to help pick them up and you hope that your teammates will do the same for you.”
Davis, who is also a mentor to Moore, said he works with the goalkeeper every day at practice or games. He said being a successful student, a reliable teammate and a stand-up person comes naturally to Moore and he continually shows up ready to do his best.
“He’s very analytical when it comes to things and he likes to look into things as in-depth as he can. He’s very good at balancing the soccer aspect of it and he’s really good at balancing the school aspect of it. He’s calm, cool, collected,” Davis said. “His motivation is one of the best things that he has.”
Moore said he is honored to be part of the Order of Pisgah and feels it is a valuable and extraordinary opportunity to be more involved on campus.
As an inductee of the Order of Pisgah, Moore holds a high honor that will continue to represent his integrity and achievements for years to come and serves as a role model for all future student athletes.
“To me he is the epitome of what a student athlete here at UNC Asheville really is,” Mennell said.