Year: 2015
Major/Minor: Bachelors of Science in Biology and HSSP and pre-med
Hometown: Creve Coeur, MO
Her Campus: What are you involved in on campus?
Matt Schwartz: I helped found the food recovery network. In the food recovery network we try to gather all the food that would be wasted and we donate it to a local food pantry. I am a member of the conduct board. I am very involved in Phi Psi. I am president of Brandeis Global Public Health Brigades. I am a TA for Bio Lab.
HC: What does Global Health Brigades do?
MS: I get funding for Brandeis students to go to Honduras to help upstream public health interventions to reduce diseases that plague their communities. We do that by doing donating hygiene supplies throughout the village. We also do a lot of public health education in schools and for the adults. We have three brigades at Brandeis. They are all very intertwined to create a holistic model for the community.
HC: Best part of being involved in Global Brigades?
MS: working alongside the family’s faces throughout the week to create hygiene station in their homes. Working really hard all week with a family you never met and speaks a different language and then feeling like they are part of your family after a week. They all live in Honduras where internet and electricity are scarce. Some of the people I work with actually have Facebook accounts and when they go into the city every four of five months and I get a message from a family asking how I am doing. It’s really touching.
HC: Best moment at Brandeis?
MS: senior year Phi Psi, being a Phi Psi brother really shaped my Brandeis experience. Doing all of our day-to-day philanthropy work, alumni events and just casually hanging out on the weekends. I really love it.
HC: What are your plans post-grad?
MS: move to California and work in healthcare policy or advocacy before matriculating to medical school. I also want to buy a Jeep Wrangler, rescue a dog and surf on the weekends.
HC: One piece of advice for a freshman at Brandeis.
MS: Transfer to somewhere warm and sunny.
Favorite:
Actor: The dog that played Air Bud, commonly known Air Buddy
Artist: Jack Johnson & Friends
Spot on campus: the snack cabinet in the Bio Lab
Celeb crush: Bill Murray
Spot off-campus: Lighthouse Field State Beach in Santa Cruz, CA