Michigan-born and raised, Matt didn’t know a soul in North
Carolina but he was looking forward to the change of scenery when he moved to
Wilmington in 2004. He dove head-first into the UNCW community – in addition to
his studies he joined a number of academic clubs and then Kappa Sigma
fraternity – where he held multiple leadership positions.
The summer before his senior year, Matt had a “welcome to
the neighborhood” party at his new house where he met his future wife, Sarah
‘08.
“I thought she was the prettiest girl there,” Matt said. “We
started playing darts on an old dartboard we had hanging up and she hit the
bullseye twice in a row – it was unbelievable.”
Matt and Sarah started dating, and when he graduated in May
of 2007 and moved to Raleigh they became a long-distance couple. Again, Matt
didn’t know a single person where he was moving so the first thing he did was reach out
to the UNCW Alumni Association.
“I figured there was a big concentration of alumni in the
Triangle and that it would be a good way to meet people," Matt said.
The current Director of the Alumni Association responded to Matt
right away. He told Matt that there wasn’t a Triangle Chapter yet but suggested
that Matt begin a formal chapter and serve as president.
“I had asked to be
involved and I had a good experience in Wilmington, so I said, 'let’s do it.'”
Since becoming actively involved in 2008, Matt has served as
Triangle Area Alumni Chapter President for two years, served on the Triangle
Steering Committee for nine years, is currently serving on the Alumni Board of Directors, founded the Matthew D. Glova Scholarship, became a E.L. White Society member, and attended 41 university events.
“I like to know that I’m supporting the place that helped me
get to where I am today, both professionally and personally," Matt said. "I met my best
friends and my wife because of UNCW, so I’m very thankful and passionate about
giving back.”
To all alumni, Matt says, “There are so many way to get
involved. You don’t have to have huge pockets either – if every alum would
donate just $25 per year, it would have a huge impact. And donating doesn’t
have to be the only way – get involved with your local chapter and attend
events like Homecoming and Family and Alumni Weekend.”
