Matt Brown ‘16 to receive Honorary Degree at Commencement

By Annie Renz

Matt Brown will cross Stonehill College’s graduation stage for the second time in ten years when the College awards him with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree this May.

He said with a chuckle that accepting the honor on the tenth anniversary of his graduation makes him feel old, but that he is honored and grateful to Stonehill for everything his time at the College taught him.

Brown came to Stonehill in 2012, just two years after he sustained a spinal cord injury during a high school hockey game that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down.

In January 2010, a cut to the C4/C5 vertebrae sent Brown to South Shore Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and a rehabilitation center in Georgia for four months. He missed over 100 days of high school, but he embraced the “Never Quit” attitude he adopted while playing for Norwood, MA hockey and graduated with his class.

“You can sit in your room, or you can get out there,” said Brown. “Just because one door closes doesn’t mean they all close.”

When searching for a college to call home, Brown found his place, his support system, and his friends whose weddings he’d later attend at Stonehill.

“I remember after that first winter break that I couldn’t wait to get back on campus. And every summer with more excitement I couldn’t wait to get back,” he said.

Brown lived on campus all four years, saying they were the time of his life. He credits his support system for making a true college experience possible.

“I was able to learn a lot about myself, learned that I could do it on my own. But that did not mean that I was doing it on my own. We had such a great, warm welcome. Stonehill basically opened up their arms and tried to figure out everything I would need,” said Brown.

In his four years, Brown built friendships that were “bound at the hip,” creating a “village behind me.” While talking with these friends during his final semester about post-college plans, Brown realized he didn’t have one.

That is until he met Todd Civin, an author who often writes as a voice for people with disabilities. At an event Brown attended that last semester, Civin told Brown that he should consider writing a book.

Three years later, that book hit the shelves. In 2019, Brown co-authored Line Change, written alongside Civin. It’s a story that shares his experiences from growing up on the ice to overcoming the challenges of his injury.

“We wrote it for middle school, high school, college-aged kids facing the everyday challenges of life,” he said. “What we learned after it was released was that there were messages in there that every age could connect to.”

While he worked on Line Change, the idea of starting a foundation of his own kept being brought up by those around him and even himself. Brown said he saw an area to give back since some people who sustain a spinal cord injury don’t have the strong support system he had.

Brown initially planned to launch his foundation through the 2020 Boston Marathon, but the COVID-19 epidemic delayed that kick-off event.

“In June 2020, I decided the world could use some good news, and I decided to launch the foundation,” he said.

Through fundraising efforts, the Matt Brown Foundation has surpassed $600,000 in grants to support individuals with paralysis. The grants help pay for items ranging from bathroom renovations to medical equipment to adaptive swing sets.

“I’m going to work as long as I have to for my community and my supporters,” he said. “Having a support system is everything.”

He continued fostering that community last year by working alongside Suzanne Galvin, his kindergarten friend’s mother, to create Wishes on Wheels. It’s a poetry anthology containing poems authored by 15 to 20 individuals living with mobility impairments. Brown wrote the foreword.

All proceeds from the book go on to benefit the Matt Brown Foundation.

“It’s a great book for all ages to realize while we might get around differently or communicate differently with assisted technology, we all have stories to tell,” he said.

When he’s not working for his foundation or speaking at events, Brown is likely training for his next marathon. Since graduating, he has participated in 11 Boston Marathons, two New York City Marathons, and the Hyannis Marathon alongside his running partner, Lucas Carr.

“What I didn’t realize was that I was missing that competitive spirit that I had with hockey, baseball, golf, and football. I didn’t know how bad I was missing it,” he said.

The opportunity to participate in Boston’s race was a no-brainer for Brown. He believes Boston is one of the best marathons in the world, and it’s in his backyard.

“Knowing how sought after it is, it is a great opportunity to get out there and show others that bad things happen, and it’s our decision to stay locked in our rooms or continue to live life,” he said.

This April, Brown and Carr will participate in their 12th Boston Marathon together. He’ll receive Stonehill’s Honorary Degree on May 17.