Meet a VC Intern: Matthew Scarlett

Learn more about one of our 2021 VC Summer Interns Matthew Scarlett, our Development Associate.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Matthew Scarlett (he/him), and I will be a Senior at Occidental College this coming fall. I’m majoring in Diplomacy & World Affairs with the hopes of going either to law school or business school afterwards. Before that, I plan to apply for the Peace Corps. In fact, I’ll be serving as the Peace Corps Ambassador at Occidental when the academic year begins, and will continue to work as an academic tutor for the Neighborhood Partnership Program. I am also a member of the Occidental cross country and track team. I consider myself an adventurous person. In my free time, I like to travel, explore, and sightsee. I also enjoy listening to all types of music.

How did you hear about VC and what drew you to apply?

I discovered VC through the InternLA program at Occidental College. I came into the program with a very open mindset and applied to multiple organizations, but the Development Associate position with VC was definitely one of my top choices. I felt the skills and habits I had developed through my academic and work experiences would translate well to this position. VC’s historical commitment to uplifting and highlighting the voices of AAPI communities was something I wanted to be a part of, especially considering I am an Asian American myself. The job was a perfect opportunity to further develop my professional skills while learning more about diverse Asian cultures and communities so I can deepen my own understanding and awareness.

What are your intern duties at VC? Which part do you find interesting?

I work closely with the Strategic Partnerships Director (Rachelle) drafting reports for VC programs/projects, tracking funds for the budget, preparing grant applications for submission, and researching organizations for future funding opportunities. Before working at VC, I had never had any prior experience with grant research and proposals. I have really enjoyed working with Rachelle and the rest of the VC team, learning important insights about the grant application process with foundation, corporate, and government entities. It is very rewarding and motivating work for me personally because I know the money raised through these grants will fund projects and programs that will continue to empower and preserve the voices of AAPI communities.

What is your favorite thing about working here? Any memorable moments?

My favorite thing about working at VC was the people I got to interact with. Everyone at VC was so open, friendly, and encouraging from the very beginning of my internship. Working at VC feels like a family-run business, given the way everyone is so close with one another. It is a real pleasure to have the opportunity to work with such dedicated and passionate people, whose goal is to further the organization’s mission to support the voices and communities of AAPI filmmakers and media artists. I also really enjoyed the evening intern check-in meetings that Eseel (Operations Director) oversaw. The informal and casual space after work served as a nice opportunity to check in with each other and talk about one another’s day.

Tell us something that most people would be surprised to learn about you.

I am a rolling stone. I love to travel and see everything the world has to offer. I especially enjoy being in nature: hiking, swimming, reading, picnicking, and just relaxing. When I was younger, I was fascinated and obsessed with the idea of hot air ballooning around the world. Today, I have narrowed down that dream to a hot air balloon trip over Bagan, Myanmar. One day when I finish my schooling, I hope to cross that dream off my bucket list.

Who is Matthew Scarlet?

I was born and raised in San Diego, California. I grew up in a family of public educators, so academics and knowledge were emphasized ceaselessly. Ever since I can remember, my family dedicated an immense amount of their time trying to nurture my young mind to help me identify my interests and passions. I am very fortunate to have had such an amazing family. They had an immense influence on the development of who I am today.

I am a very outdoorsy and active person. My family took me all over the United States to sightsee and travel when I was young, like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park, and many more. My favorite place we visited was Yellowstone because I saw so much wildlife roaming free and I had never seen a geyser before.

I feel most at peace and happy when I am traveling and spending time in nature. I think that is one reason why I enjoy running so much. Running is a great outlet for when I am dealing with anxiety or stress. Whenever I am having a bad day, just going outside for a run is the remedy to enhance my mood. I’ve run competitively both in high school and college, and I’ve had irreplaceable memories through this sport. During my junior year of high school, we qualified as a team to run at the state competition. At the beginning of the season, we knew we had a real shot of qualifying even though the rankings said otherwise, and we accomplished our team goal. It’s one of my favorite memories.

I also owe many of my closest friends to running. The team aspect is what makes running competitively so worthwhile to me. The team has each other’s backs. When someone is struggling, we help pick them up. When someone is succeeding, others feed off their energy and succeed too. We motivate and bring the best out of each other and it is a special feeling.

Although I am still pondering my plans for the future, I am learning more about myself and taking the process day by day. As someone who grew up surrounded by public school teachers, I aspire to give back to my family by helping the youth, public servants, and disadvantaged communities. I am not sure which career I would pursue to do this, so I’ll just start with applying to the Peace Corps first. Although work of this nature is very challenging and arduous, I see it as an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than myself.

Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park

Hiking up Yosemite Falls

Running at the SCIAC championship race at Pomona College

Exploring Borrego Springs during spring break