La Costa Canyon student to appear on NBC’s ‘Today’ show

La Costa Canyon High School sophomore Tyler Gamett will be participating in a panel discussion on cultural pressures upon teenage boys to conform with masculinity stereotypes on NBC’s “Sunday Today” show on March 25.

Tyler, 15, of Olivenhain, will join teens from across the country for the discussion. He is a straight-A student at La Costa Canyon, and is also active in the school’s Associated Student Body, the Mavericks tennis team and the Boy Scouts.

Tyler does not feel much pressure to “be a man,” he said, “though, there is a definite culture for guys not to talk about their emotions.”

He said he feels that social media adds to the pressure that male teens might feel to appear “masculine” because it only displays individuals in their most positive, sometimes masculine, light. This can result in teen boys feeling insecure, isolated, and inferior, he believes, which can lead to depression in some teens.

Tyler will be an Eagle Scout by the time of his “Sunday Today” interview. He recently completed his Eagle Scout project working with the Encinitas-based nonprofit RARE Science organization’s RARE Bear Project that helps find cures for kids with rare diseases. The RARE Bear Project is a community-driven initiative and is supported by the ever-growing RARE Bear Army of volunteers that help make one-of -a-kind bears for special one-of-a-kind kids. Gifted RARE bears have a serial number specifically made for a child in the program. The families are then able to network regarding the conditions of their children and possibly help in diagnosing their conditions. The tagged Teddy bears are customized according to the child’s particular interests.

Tyler and his father will be flying to New York City on March 21 in preparation for the taping of the panel discussion on March 22 at the NBC News studio in 30 Rockefeller Center. The Gametts plan to take in the sights of the city for a couple of extra days before returning home. The segment is scheduled for the March 25 airing of the “Sunday Today” show at 6 a.m. locally on NBC 7.

Coincidentally, the segment on masculinity pressures on teen boys is being produced by La Costa Canyon alumnus Dasha Burns. Burns graduated from LCC in 2010, where she was active in the theater program. She went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley.

— Submitted news release