Page 51 - Menlo Magazine: Winter 2018

M E N L O M A G A Z I N E
Matt Wilsey ’96 with his wife Kristen and children Grace and Reagan
What do you remember from your time at Menlo that has most shaped who you are today?
I developed my most e ective learning and interpersonal skills during my time at Menlo’s Lower School (now Middle School). It was di cult for me to survive academically as a dyslexic. I worked so hard during my two years at the Lower School that it made subsequent academic challenges in the Upper School and college less daunting.
Menlo taught me that dogged determination and persistence are paramount to achieving success. If I need to get up earlier than everyone else and stay up later, that’s what I will do.
What’s the most important piece of advice you can o er Menlo students and recent graduates?
First, I would have bet everything on my long-term plans when I graduated, but those plans went out the window with Grace’s arrival. Life is going to throw you curveballs. Treat those trials as opportunities and turn them into something positive.
Second, be the voice for someone who has none. I o en speak on behalf of the 30 million Americans who su er from a rare disease. It’s become my life’s work. You don’t have to make this a career; it can be a volunteer position or a hobby. e rewards will be far greater than any job you will ever have.
ird, don’t retreat from things that are worth ghting for.
You will make a di erence even if you can’t see the path to the ultimate goal. We might not cure Grace during her lifetime, but our work will help millions of people.
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