Raul Matta

Raul Matta was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1984 and has lived in Massachusetts for all of his life. He moved to Northampton when he was five-years-old and lived there until last year. He graduated from Northampton High School, received an Associate in Arts from Holyoke Community College, and then transferred to Hampshire College where he received his Bachelor in Arts in 2009. While at HCC, he began working at Holyoke High School through his work with the American Friends Service Committee. As a youth fellow for AFSC, he was in charge of local Counter Recruitment organizing. Counter Recruitment (CR) is educating young people about the realities of military service and alternatives to military service so that they can make informed decisions about their future.

AFSC targeted Holyoke High School because it is the most recruited school in the Valley. Recruiters visit HHS more than fifty times a year — and Northampton High School no more than six times a year. As part of his work, Raul shared information with students that recruiters often left out of their recruitment discussions and encouraged students to consider college or trade school as an alternative. While the work was successful and “we helped a few students leave the military and enroll in local colleges, we had no real tangible ways of helping students see college as a realistic step in their future.”

In 2007, Raul approached Lisa Pisano of G.E.A.R.-U.P. and offered to bring volunteers, financial resources, and a collaboration between Hampshire College, AFSC, and G.E.A.R.-U.P to the high school. For the last two years, they have worked with students and their families to fill out FAFSAs and apply to colleges. Although he no longer directly speaks with students about CR, he is able to tangibly work with students and bring them one step closer to college, as an alternative the military.

 

I: What obstacles have you overcome?

R: I was a poor Latino growing up amidst middle class white children in Northampton. The obstacles I overcame were part of the life trajectory a student of my race and class background are given from birth. I understood in high school and college that because of my background and the family/social status I was born into, I was less likely to succeed than my peers. Rather than accept that as my fate, I saw it as a challenge.

I:  What inspired you/ motivated you to succeed?

As I learned more about my major, African American history, I realized that the education and knowledge that I had the opportunity to gain had been denied to generations of people because of their skin color and social status. Anytime I felt depressed or overwhelmed I just thought of the multitudes of people who had risked their lives to learn. As Americans we are privileged to be able to go to school and benefit from an education, no matter how bad or unsatisfactory we think it is.

I: Who was your role model?

R: I had very few positive male role models growing up. My father taught me about building a strong work ethic and being a member of a low-income family, it was important that I work from an early age in order to relieve the financial burden from my parents. The skills he taught me were essential to me becoming an independent man. He had dropped out of school in eighth grade and taught me what he knew about surviving.

Another role model was my stepfather. I met him when he was the community police officer for Meadowbrook Apartments in Florence, Massachusetts. I was young and stupid and he escorted me home on numerous occasions for committing silly offenses. He never arrested me and made a commitment to my success before he and my mother began dating. He was the driving force behind me applying to Hampshire College and always encouraged me to think of myself as a competent young man, who was deserving of all the great opportunities that came my way.

I: Where do you see yourself in about 10 years?

R: In ten years, I would like to have a PHD in History from (hopefully) Yale University or the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. I am interested in becoming a professor of history and teaching students all the important things that are often left out of high school history classes. I have thought about working in education and want to change the history being taught in U.S. high schools. Instead of teaching the victories of dead white men, I am interested in creating curriculum that is more inclusive of the stories of people of color and how they have struggled to become successful, respected citizens of this country. I would like people like Thomas Jefferson to be understood for their complexities, he was not just the author of the Declaration of Independence, he was also a slave owner and a racist white man.

I: What advice would you give to teens?

R: I would encourage them to focus on their education from as early an age as possible. Had I been mature when I was younger, I could have accomplished so much more. Take ownership of your community, your education, and your life. These things are so important to becoming a successful person and citizen. The more people you are accountable to the more likely you are to stay out of trouble and succeed. Finally, find that person in your life or your community who can help you get through the obstacle course of life. Everyone needs support and part of accepting your responsibility as a student or citizen is understanding when you need help and who is willing to help you. The biggest lesson I have learned is that life is a series of favors. The more you make yourself available and offer your help to others, the more likely others will be willing to help you in a time of need.

I: What do you think Holyoke Public Schools could do to improve their school system?

R: I think Holyoke could improve their school system if they focused more on preparing students for college and denied military recruiters unlimited access to their students. If you speak to a student everyday about graduating from high school and going on to college, he or she will think seriously about it. From a very early age, the recruiters pitches about the military will be less influential. Just because Holyoke is a disproportionately low-income, Latino community does not mean that their students should be targeted for military service. If parents, students, school administrators and staff, and community members worked with more cohesion, we might be able to decrease the numberof high school drop outs and increase the numberof college graduates that come out of the Holyoke school system.

I: How would Holyoke improve as a city?

R: The improvement of the community is dependent on the success of future generations. Holyoke was once a vibrant community that offered employment, inexpensive housing, and a small town feel to incoming Irish and Puerto Rican immigrants. We need to move back to the safe and welcoming environment that once existed.