We all know Tyler Hodges as the head of The Bolles School, the one who makes everything go. He runs four different campuses, with hundreds of students on each. Having responsibility over campuses, students, teachers, and every other aspect of Bolles is a lot of responsibility. As many of you probably assume, he has a very busy day-to-day life. Let’s take a look at what each day looks like for Mr. Hodges:
Hodges has several non-negotiables that he starts his morning with each day. He always drinks a hot cup of tea and takes some quiet time for himself before he embarks on his extremely busy day. He says that the quiet time helps him to “get himself centered and balanced.” He also likes to get some exercise. Many students know that he enjoys running but another way he likes to exercise is playing pickup basketball with some old buddies.
After Hodges’ morning routine, he makes his way to his office by 8 AM to make sure he is ready to go when students begin to arrive. He has always enjoyed being around students.
“The best part of my job is being around students each and every day,” he said. He does wish that he knew each student a little better than he does, but since Bolles is so big it is really difficult.
Hodges has several common things he does each day as Head of School. First, he attends many meetings, usually between three and four. He tries to space them out so he can give his undivided attention for all meetings.
Hodges shared something unexpected about his opinion on meetings. He said, “I don’t like to meet just to meet, but if we got something to address, then we will meet.”
Hodges also is required to travel often. He visits many alumni groups outside of campus. He also raises money for Bolles in order to make it so special for us. The final key reason, and the most obvious one, is to visit the other Bolles campuses. He tries to get to Ponte Vedra and Bartram once a week.
For how busy Mr. Hodges is, he needs to fuel himself properly every day. He shared that his favorite thing to have for lunch is a deli sandwich and chips. When he has the choice, he will go for a good chicken salad or tuna salad sandwich. He tries to cut out fast food from his eating habits and stay on the healthier side when he eats.
Hodges is then back to work after lunch. When he needs a break, he loves to read. “One thing I can’t live without is a good book to read,” he said.
There are several days where he is still working until between 6-7 PM, but other days he may leave at 4 PM. It depends on his work schedule and what he has going on.
Hodges enjoys attending extracurricular Bolles events, which is why his work schedule often changes. “I’ll attend three to four athletic events in one night, if they are all on campus,” he said. He lives at Bolles, which he loves dearly. It is also very easy for him to attend a soccer game or basketball game when he lives here, whereas if he lived somewhere else, it could be very difficult to attend while working around family time, work events, and other things.
Outside of athletic events, Hodges most commonly spends his evenings with his family. He grew up always having family meals, and he makes sure that he carries on that tradition with his kids. He also likes to walk his dogs and watch sports. He is usually lights out between 10:30 and 11.
Finally, Hodges spoke about why Bolles is so special to him, in which he said, “It’s the community. I was drawn to Bolles because it’s such an amazing place with an awesome reputation. It’s got such a loyal community.”
The Day of Tyler Hodges is very busy. Through his busy day, he still is someone who wants to have intimate connections with each of his students. Tyler Hodges is a remarkable leader whose dedication and leadership has shaped the Bolles community and made it so special.
