Meet Matthew

Matthew’s online search for the “best plant science program” led him to his academic home in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and now he shares his advice with students applying to Cornell. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Matthew appreciates not only the myriad of opportunities at Cornell but also the depth with which he can explore them; he serves as co-president for the Translator Interpreter Program, a lead mentor for the Plant Sciences program, and a CALS Global Fellow — an opportunity which brought him to Argentina.

What clubs/activities are you involved with on campus?

I am one of the co-presidents for the Translator Interpreter Program, one of the lead mentors for Plant Sciences, and the chairperson of CALS Ambassadors. I am also involved in research at both the Frank lab and the EQUAL lab, and I have a part-time job as a server at Taverna Banfi.

What is your favorite thing about Cornell?

My favorite thing about Cornell is the diversity of people, backgrounds, and passions that I've encountered. Even within just the smaller Plant Sciences major, all of my friends want to explore different things and we come from all over the country. Outside of my classes I am able to interact with people in different colleges that are pursuing things that are completely alien to me, or sometimes we have similar interests but they are pursuing them in a way that I had not thought of before. When I meet new people I get reminded of all the opportunities that we can explore here at Cornell.

Why is the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences a great fit for you?

In CALS, we enter Cornell already affiliated with our majors, so we are able to start studying exactly what we want to as soon as we get here. Since I knew what I wanted to do before coming to Cornell, having the ability to focus all of my time and effort on what I really want to study is amazing. There are also so many interesting smaller classes in CALS that I get to explore because of the flexibility that CALS offers.

What is your academic passion?

I came here knowing that I wanted to do plant breeding in the end but I've found that in my classes I have been able to learn about so many new frontiers and opportunities just within plant breeding that really interest me, like equitable plant breeding and participatory breeding programs.

What is one piece of advice or something you wish you knew when you were applying?

Don't stress so much over "proving" yourself in your essays! Show who you are in your personal statement and show what you want to do in the future in your supplemental essay. Your activities and classes will show up in other parts of your application, but who you are and what you want may not.

How did you find your friends and community at Cornell?

I have some amazing friends from within the Plant Sciences major because of how small it is! We were all taking CHEM 1560, PLSCI 1110, and PLSCI 1101 at the same time our first semester and we've been friends ever since. The rest of my friends I have come across by meeting and interacting with them all over campus (dorms, dining halls, study lounges, etc.). I didn't really dedicate myself to any clubs until my junior year and I am so glad I did because I was able to really figure out what my priorities were and what I wanted out of these communities, and it has been amazing working with the people in the CALS Ambassadors program and TIP.