Shattering Stereotypes
Track and field standout Isaac Matthews says he has worked hard to overcome the myth that he can’t both be a dominant athlete and at the top of his class.
By David Pluviose
Top Male Student - Athlete
ISAAC MATTHEWS
School: University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Year: Senior
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Cumulative GPA: 3.88
Fall 2006 GPA: 4.0
Sport: Indoor & Outdoor Track and Field
Any highlight reel documenting the accomplishments of Isaac Matthews both inside the classroom and on the track would make for a true crowd-pleaser. Though holding down a 3.88 GPA as a mechanical engineering major would be a full-time endeavor for most students, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County senior still finds time to serve as treasurer for the school’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. He’s also a motivational speaker for NASA Sharp students, a mentor and tutor to high school and middle school students and a concert cellist. And he’s a member of an NAACP outreach program to encourage and motivate minority youth.
Matthews’ passion to excel is also evident in his performance on the track. Matthews finished seventh in the 800-meter run at the 2005 America East Indoor Championships; finished eighth in the 800 at the 2004 America East Outdoor Championships; and among other accolades, he was named a Toyota Athlete of the Week in 2003.
Matthews also holds a Meyerhoff scholarship at UMBC. The Meyerhoff program was specifically designed to populate high-demand science, technology, engineering and math fields with minority scientists who are both world-class scholars and social-conscious mentors, says LaMont Toliver, the program’s director. Toliver likens Matthews to a modern-day renaissance man.
“When you talk about a prototype for a scholar-athlete … if you were searching for a well-rounded intellectual with the potential to be the Paul Robeson of our time — he’s that well-rounded. He’s an accomplished cellist, athlete extraordinaire, scholar, a leader within the UMBC community as well as the Meyerhoff community. You expect this coming from the director, but if it were not true, I wouldn’t say it. I think the world of him,” Toliver says.
