Team

From the moment Matthew was pulled up onstage during a production of “Rumpelstiltskin,” he’s known that the theatre is where he belongs.  As he grew up, though, he realized that his artistic dreams and personal ambition weren’t sufficient to carve out a meaningful life. He ended up, as young people like him usually do, in New York City where, almost by accident, he began working in youth development while he waited for Broadway to call.  His volunteering with a church’s youth program helped him reconnect to the model of selfless service his parents had taught him long before. Experience working in group homes taught him the powerful lesson that small acts of kindness and love can have a huge impact even within a broken system. And his unexpected experience as a foster parent to a young man navigating the tricky terrain of college and career access instilled in him a passion for equity and a hunger to make meaningful change.  Even as his theatrical career continued to hold the youthful magic it always had, he realized he wasn’t truly happy if he wasn’t leading from love, anxiously engaged in a good cause. During a pivotal walk on a faraway beach, Matthew committed to bringing his various passions together and embarking on a new and exciting chapter. Right on cue, he saw a job posting to head up Opening Act’s new Act 2 College and Career Readiness program and it’s been a joyful journey ever since.