Failing in life is a significant part of success. However, true warriors never fail to hope despite failure, and Matthew’s story is an example of having the audacity to hope despite all odds. It is not about failure but failure forward, the kind that pushes you to do better and makes you unstoppable. He grew up in Pomona, California. Not having a lavish lifestyle, unlike kids around him, was not just the problem; however, Matthew also battled multiple issues like poverty, addiction, and being diagnosed with mental illness. Although his parents worked tirelessly, the father was a truck driver, and the mother was a nurse and social worker, despite all that they did, the family struggled financially.
Bills piled up every other month despite two breadwinners, and final notices arriving at the home were regular in their lives. The constant financial stress significantly shaped Matthew’s personality and affected the family’s life. The struggles did not just end here, as he was the only black child in the family, born because of an affair. Being called with the N word regularly, and hearing other harsh words like being called an enslaved person, made Matthew hate life; however, he kept going when he saw how his brother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He observed how the world was cruel to everyone, even those who were completely harmless, and those who wanted to bring good to society and other people’s lives.
Matthew agrees that he hated being a black kid, as it was the main reason behind why he had to go through so much pain and suffering. Not just this, when Matthew entered grade three, he was officially given the diagnosis of ADHD and was prescribed Ritalin. Although it did help him focus on tasks that he suffered because of ADHD, the numbness it brought was too much to handle, but till the time Mathew entered grade eight, he started abusing the drug by taking high doses. The intake of the pills was 13-15 a day, as to him, it was the perfect escape from reality. It just felt good until insomnia, hallucinations, and paranoia slowly crept into his life, and in those moments, no school, parents, or friends could help him.
Despite knowing his condition, the teachers focused on surviving and were not bothered by learning. Thus, Matthew became fond of skipping classes, was regularly seen fighting around, and was disrespectful to his teachers. There were many cases reported of him cursing at teachers. Suspension after suspension was the new norm, and it got aggravated to such an extent that in his junior year, the police escorted him to school! His result? 1.83 GPa with 10F’s. He was a failure! However, God sent a human angel to the world to fix him. Sheryce Long, his teacher at Gladstone High School, was not ready to give up.
The man kept pushing him to do better, handed him books that could impact his thoughts and help him realize what he was doing, and yes, through it all, he felt a change. One that no one around expected. He stated how no one had cared for him the same way, and he is grateful for the presence of such mentors in life. Soon, Matthew was enrolled in Mt. San Antonio College, and his goal was clear. To end up at Harvard! Despite the failures, he was ready to face it all alone this time. Matthew first took a transfer, did four research projects independently, and earned a 3.86 GPA.
The moment he had acceptances from several universities in hand and had the choice, he opted for Harvard. The first Harvard graduate in his family, he never expected to graduate, but thankfully, he did.
