What has Matt been up to since graduation? Leaping through fire, earning a black belt and tenderly caring for his bonsai tree, to name just a few things. 15 years of marriage and two kids later, Matt is definitely living his best life.
Get to know Matt again.
Name some of the the places where you have lived.
Poughkeepsie, NY 2001 - 2006: First job at IBM after college at R.I.T. Got married and lived for several years enjoying the Hudson Valley, New England for snowboarding, and exploring New York City.
Harrisburg, PA 2006-2018: Had our first child, Isabella (2006), and moved back to PA to be close to family and friends. Had a second child Isaac (2009), three years later. Fun fact: 2006 and 2009 are the last two years the Steelers, our favorite sports team, have won the Super Bowl.
Raleigh, NC 2018 - present: Packed up the family to pursue a job opportunity. We’ve been here less than a year, but loving it so far.
Would you like to share a bit about your family? Kids, fur babies, significant other, etc.
I’ve been married 15 years to my wife, Michelle. We have two kids Isabella (age 13) and Isaac (age 10). Michelle and I met when we were just kids, as she is first cousins to Jenn (Smith) Scavullo and would come to Meadville to visit from time to time. We stayed in touch over the years and eventually got together after college.
What do they do that makes you proud?
We’re fortunate to have two happy, healthy kids. Isabella is a competitive gymnast, which keeps her busy full time. Isaac plays soccer, piano and practices karate.
Did you go to college? Where did you go? What did you study?
After MASH I went to Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.) and studied computer engineering.
What have you been up to since graduation/the last reunion?
Since graduation and getting married, I’ve been very happy living the family life and trying to find as much time to travel as possible. In between, I’ll sign up for an obstacle course race here and there when I can - Spartan Race has been my favorite. On the work front, I spent my early career after college on the mainframe engineering team at IBM, then moved over to software sales at Red Hat in 2011. Last year (2018) I decided to take a job at Red Hat headquarters in Raleigh.
Share a fun fact about yourself. Maybe something we wouldn't know about you.
I’ve always secretly wanted to be a ninja. I first started martial arts my senior year in downtown Meadville. I picked it back up late in college, then again after my first job in New York, but I never made it more than two years in a single style. Fast forward 10 years to when my son turned five (about 2013). I took another swing and got us both enrolled. Last summer (2018), after five years of training, I finally earned my first black belt.
When you have some spare time, what is your favorite thing to do?
We stay busy, but when there is spare time it’s watching movies. Our favorite is Ghostbusters, and movie popcorn is a true vice of mine.
What is your fondest memory of Meadville and/or high school?
So many it’s hard to pick one, here’s a few:
All the friendships made. I’m still closer to my Meadville friends than I am with my college friends. Thank goodness for Facebook (yeah, I’m on), which helps us stay up to date as we’ve all moved to many corners of the country.
My wife, Michelle, being my date for the spring dance senior year at MASH. That worked out well.
The basketball games. (Including one of Garner dunking and the crowd going nuts.) No offense baseball team, but one of my very few regrets in life was not sticking it out to play basketball. That was a fun team.
What was your favorite class? Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Any of the math or computer sciences classes with Mr. Genung Aside from being a brilliant teacher and having an uncanny ability to draw a perfect circle with a single, double-jointed swirl of his arm (anyone who took one of his classes knows what I mean), he had a great sense of humor and was a mentor for life outside the classroom. Mr. Genung introduced me to R.I.T., where I went to college and started my career in computers.
Did you have a nickname in high school?
Not that I ever was aware of? If so, please tell me!
School lunch - Did you pack or buy? If you bought lunch, what was your favorite menu item?
Pack...all the time.
If you could pick anything, what would you do when you retire?
Master the art of BBQ and open a bonsai shop. Getting back to the whole ninja thing, and you may recall “Bonsai!” from Karate Kid, I’d love to open a store and take care of plants full time. I only have one bonsai, and almost killed it - was down to one leaf but it’s doing better now.
Fortunately it’s a long way until retirement.
Give us your top three songs from high school.
It’s hard to remember back that far. These are more top bands than top songs. Here goes!
Hootie & the Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You
Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon
Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down