A year younger than his friends, Matthew had to compete for a spot in his school and on his baseball team. He wanted to be the best at everything he did, whether that be baseball, four-square, or Backyard Baseball (a video game). Now an alumni of Appalachian State, he has to compete at his job. “Whether anyone else knows it or not I want to be better than them,” said Matthew.

Being competitive means you need to work hard to get where you want to be. This is something Matthew learned quickly. He was a procrastinator but he finally realized you need to work hard for what you want, like a spot on the Varsity baseball team. “He was determined to play baseball and did not let anything take him away from his goal,” says Bill, father of Matthew.

Family support was key to Matthew’s hard work. His parents encouraged him to work hard but never pushed him. They gave him lots of responsibility. He had two little siblings always running around. He never wanted to be a role model to them but he knew that he would be. He knew that his little siblings would look up to him. “He encouraged me to play sports, he was my role model as a young kid, and I wanted to be like him and be around him,” -Mark, younger brother.

Matthew is my oldest brother, someone that I look upon in struggling times. In my lifetime I saw Matthew grow in character. He was now strong physically and mentally. He worked hard and always had this competitive drive. As I grew up I didn’t want to be left in the shadows. My brother left a big shoe to fill and I want to leave one just as big or if not bigger. My family is proud of my brother, I hope to be just like him. “I want to be a positive influence on everyone that I am around and most importantly I hope to be a person that my family and friends are proud of.” states Matthew.