Matthew Moen, 17 years
old
Matthew is just one
of those beautiful souls. Though his heart is tender and kind, it is
packaged in an imposing frame measuring 6 ft. tall, composed of more than
200 pounds of powerful muscle. Matthew is a valued football player for the
Emmett High School Huskies Varsity Football Team, as well as a shot put and
discus competitor on the school’s track team. He practices many daily
disciplines, among them weight training. Matt maintains close to a 4.0 grade
average in his studies, and belongs to one of Emmett’s reading clubs,
because his hunger for learning is ravenous, and he craves the exchange of
ideas with others. Matthew loves art and the humanities. He plays the tuba
and participates in school band and jazz band. He has performed in BSU’s
Tuba Christmas program for many years. Matthew plays the drums and bass,
using his talents to enhance the worship of God at his church and other
gatherings. Due to tremendous devotion, Matt reads and plays music with
excellence. He enjoys the intensive study of all music forms and styles. But
nothing came easy for Matt. As a very young boy, Matthew struggled terribly
because of his sensitive nature.
He had a
difficult time in school things weren’t always easy at home. His parents
divorced and his siblings were older, so Matt had to learn to cope with
loneliness. Teachers, counselors, Sunday school teachers and others
expressed their concern.
Matthew also
struggled with being bigger and chubbier than his peers. He was teased about
his lack of athleticism. When Matt finally tried sports, he was very inept
his first few years. But Matt gave all of his heart and worked very hard
until he succeeded.
Instead of
being angry towards those who rejected him, Matthew reached out to other
struggling children, offering friendship and understanding. He was the first
to invite an acutely handicapped boy from his elementary school class to
play. Their friendship blossomed, and the disabled boy visited Matt’s house.
This boy had never visited the house of another childe before. He’d never
had a real friend before. Matthew reached out to kids who were afraid,
grieving, disenfranchised. His kind, gentle spirit and powerful personality
attracted so many.
Today, as one
of Emmett’s most beloved young citizens among his peers and adults alike,
Matthew exudes acceptance and compassion. He has found his way beyond many
obstacles. He seeks each day to encourage others, and to challenge his peers
to grow in their own abilities in order to serve. Matthew cultivates
relationships with a diverse group of peers and others, seeking out persons
from many backgrounds, races, religions, political and social views, and
more, in order to promote his own understanding and tolerance of all human
beings.
Matthew exhibits
selfless concern for his neighbors, his community and the world. He works as
a volunteer at the local WICAP distributing food, and participates in many
other volunteer projects to help the needy. He has been a student
representative to the local school board, and to the state legislature,
because he is concerned about issues that affect children and families,
including the need for excellence in education and the exposure to art for
young people. Matt recently played the lead role in a community theater
production, devoting much of his summer to practice, to help raise money for
the community. He films, one studying man’s abuse of power, and another
exposing the dangers of steroid use. Matt dedicates his time, strength, and
talents to developing himself as a compassionate and learned young man, in
order to one day teach and continue to serve. Matt hopes to learn more about
serving humanity in the Peace Corps and to one day teach music on a doctoral
level.
