On Thursday, Jan. 12, four UT Tyler alumni will take the stage at the school’s University Center theater and tell their true, personal stories paired with comedians to keep the laughs coming.
The event, presented by The Tyler Loop in partnership with the university’s department of social sciences, is free to the public. Meet the Tyler university alumni and comedians in the show.
Victoria Carpenter, storyteller
Victoria Carpenter, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, has been a resident of Tyler for the past eight years. She received her associate’s degree in General Studies from Tyler Junior College in 2019 and graduated from The University of Texas at Tyler in the spring of 2022, where she studied English and psychology.
Tyler Elliott, comedian
Tyler Elliott is tall. Originally from Oklahoma, he now calls Texas home. Elliott’s soft-spoken delivery can sheathe the bite hiding in his bits. He has a knack for assembling original, engaging ideas and capping them with dynamite punchlines.
Khaled Elsayed, storyteller
Khaled Elsayed is a Muslim Egyptian who moved to East Texas nearly nine years ago. He received his Masters of Engineering from UT Tyler and now works for the City of Tyler as an IT engineer. Khaled loves traveling, reading about cyber security and horseback riding.
Shruti Patil, storyteller
Shruti Patil is a data analyst with the City of Tyler. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s in electronics and computer science in Hyderabad, India, and attended UT Tyler. She is member of Leadership Tyler Class 33 and the assistant area director for Toastmasters Area 14. She loves to cook, do yoga and tai chi, and lives in Tyler with her husband and son.
Clarence Shackelford, storyteller
Clarence Edmond Shackelford was born in Tyler, Texas, and also lived in Germany while in the US Army. He has owned a television network since 1999. He retired as a photographer for the state of Texas when he was 54 years old. He is the founder of Tour Tyler, Texas and the Texas African American Museum, both flagstaff programs under the auspices of the Tyler-based nonprofit Empowerment Community Development Corporation. He married his childhood best friend, Anita.
Byron Stamps, comedian
Byron Stamps is the creator of Truth in Comedy, a national touring storytelling, stand-up comedy and art show. He has performed at comedy festivals across the country including Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Memphis Comedy Festival, and SF Sketchfest.
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