I am Matt from Boulder, Colorado. Since my early childhood, I have traveled throughout Europe extensively, spending significant time in Dublin, Ireland, ultimately leading me to pursue a degree at Trinity College, where I earned an MSc in international politics. I wrote my MSc thesis on democratic breakdown in interwar Eastern and Central Europe. I have now been to approximately 20 countries in Europe, spanning every region of the continent. Before coming to Trinity, I did my undergrad at the University of Denver where I majored in history with minors in sociology and political science. I wrote my thesis on Colorado statehood and its connection to the presidential election of 1876. I also hold two publications in the undergraduate student research journal at Denver, including one on the rise of the Mussolini regime in Italy and my undergraduate thesis. During my time in Denver, I served as a part-time legislative aide in the Colorado General Assembly where I conducted legislative research, drafted parts of bills, and wrote speeches for lawmakers to deliver in the state House of Representatives. At Columbia, I plan to study the Cold War in Eastern and Central Europe and American foreign policy related to the region and Israel to build a specialty to supplement my theoretical grounding at Trinity. When I am not studying, I enjoy playing golf, reading the news and watching baseball.
