In The Spotlight ...
Matthew Keene
Liberal Studies Major
Class Of 2010
Barto
“I love learning,” he said. “After I became acclimated and got involved in clubs, I made lots of friends. I see people who come here, just take classes and leave, and by doing so, I think they pass by many opportunities.”
Matt is not one to pass by an opportunity or to let a few challenges stand in his way. When he was a young child, fire destroyed his family’s home, and they were forced to move to temporary quarters for about a year. During this time, Matt spent a lot of time with his grandfather, Joseph DeLucia, who introduced him to the world of computers.
“He is the main reason I became interested in computers and programming,” he said.
When his family returned to their restored home in Barto, Matt attended public school and was placed in the gifted program. However, after some complications with vaccines and a compromised immune system, he had to withdrawal from school.
“Following my second hospitalization, the doctor recommended I stay home, so my mom started home schooling me,” he said.
Eventually he enrolled in the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School and easily advanced through the curriculum. When he was 14 years old, he was selected to participate in the College Honors Academic Mastery Program for Students, which allowed him to take dual credit courses for high school and college.
“I started at Bucks County Community College until I was 15 years old and was then able to transfer and take courses at Montgomery County Community College.”
Matt will graduate in May 2010 with an associate’s degree in the Liberal Studies and a 4.0 grade point average. He graduated from high school last year.
His future plans are to either attend Massachusetts Institute for Technology to pursue a degree in computer network security or to attend the University of California, Berkeley, to pursue a degree in astrophysics.
“I’ve always enjoyed astronomy as a hobby and would like to work for NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] in its space program,” he said. “Of course, I enjoy computers, too.”
Beyond his dual enrollment courses, Matt involves himself in a plethora of school and community activities.
As vice president and now president of the Honors Club, Matt has helped organize some fundraisers to raise money to build a school in Nigeria and to help the Family Services Center in Norristown. He also participated in Community Day events.
“We’ve taken field trips to New York City and Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We also collected food and prepared brown bag lunches, which we handed out to homeless people in Hope Park in Philadelphia.”
In the Drama Club, Matt designed and created lighting to set the tone and mood for the theatre. He also serves as an editor of The Buzz and edits clips for the revolving video display in the Advanced Technology Center lobby.
As a member of the ACE Club, he participated in Alternative Spring Break by volunteering to help paint the Family Service Center, Norristown. He is also a member of the Student Government Association.
Outside of school, Matt participated with the “Get Out The Vote” initiative during the last two elections. Working at a Pottstown satellite office, he helped citizens register to vote and to get out to the polls.
His first community project occurred when he was about 12 years old. He organized a group of his friends to help clean up storm debris and restore Schlegels Creek, a small creek that runs through his neighborhood.
Matt considers his parents, Sherry and David Keene, along with his grandfather, as positive influences on his life and achievements. Coincidentally, his mother was also a recipient of the All-State Community College Academic Team award.
