“I used to be in shock at first. I didn’t anticipate it,” Matthew stated. “I used to be overjoyed.”
A video of the second, wherein Matthew and his sister, Magdalena, squeal in delight and share a decent squeeze, has gone viral on social media. Magdalena repeatedly screams, “No means!”
“It was pure pleasure,” she stated in an interview with The Washington Publish. “I simply had an enormous sense of satisfaction.”
“Despite the fact that I’m older by 45 minutes,” she added, “I’ve all the time regarded as much as Matthew.”
The teenager twins are each senior college students at Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Conn., an unbiased faculty. As soon as Matthew obtained his acceptance, Magdalena despatched the video to employees on the faculty, who then shared it on social media. The video has been considered on TikTok greater than 828,000 instances.
“It’s so touching that so many individuals are listening to about and sharing his story,” stated Holly Singleton, the affiliate head of faculty on the Woodstock Academy. “We now have all the time recognized that his stalwart willpower would permit him to realize his goals. Harvard is simply the primary of many important accomplishments in his life.”
Though Matthew didn’t anticipate information of his acceptance to unfold around the globe, he stated, he’s glad it has.
“I do really feel good that persons are seeing it,” Matthew advised The Publish. He hopes his acceptance will reinforce to others that “for those who simply preserve making an attempt and dealing at it, you’ll finally obtain what you want.”
Matthew’s cerebral palsy primarily impacts his gait and muscle tone, he stated, explaining that the dysfunction — which is the commonest motor incapacity amongst youngsters — doesn’t influence him mentally.
“I’m nonetheless capable of do loads of issues, however some issues would possibly take me eight instances longer,” he stated, including that he walks round campus, drives a automotive, volunteers and partakes in a number of faculty golf equipment. He’s additionally an Eagle Scout.
Since Matthew was 6 years previous, he stated, attending Harvard College has been his objective. As a toddler, he turned a frequent affected person at Boston Youngsters’s Hospital — the primary pediatric program of Harvard Medical School.
“I’ve all the time regarded as much as my docs on the hospital. They’re superb individuals,” stated Matthew, who hopes to turn out to be a doctor in the future, too. “Once I discovered they have been related to Harvard, I wished to be part of that.”
He knew the trail to getting there, although, could be removed from straightforward. In keeping with admission statistics for the class of 2026, simply over three % of candidates have been admitted. The college didn’t reply to a request for remark from The Washington Publish.
Sara Dziedzic, the English and Social Research division chair at Woodstock Academy, who’s at the moment Matthew’s worldwide relations trainer, stated her scholar’s acceptance introduced her to tears.
“He’s unstoppable when he needs to realize any objectives,” she stated, including that Matthew is concerned in scholar authorities in addition to numerous extracurricular actions, together with the medical membership and Mannequin U.N. “Matthew tackles all challenges with focus and has a robust want to achieve success.”
He’s additionally within the prime 5 % of scholars in his class, Dziedzic stated.
“Harvard is fortunate to have him,” she stated. “He’ll be capable to do superb issues.”
Magdalena — who might be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College within the fall — stated her brother is “all the time up late doing homework,” and has “solely gotten two A minuses in his highschool profession.”
Past being vivid, she stated, “he simply works so laborious.”
Matthew stated his motivation has been his hope of being accepted to Harvard in the future.
“That is what I’ve been working in direction of,” he stated, including that his subsequent mission is to get accepted to medical faculty.
“I wish to assist individuals,” stated Matthew, who plans to main in biology and chemistry. “I regarded as much as my docs after I was youthful, and I wish to create that for different sufferers.”
Till then, Matthew stated, he hopes his story will encourage others to go after their objectives, and push previous obstacles.
“It doesn’t matter what you face in life,” he stated, “you may overcome something.”
