From homelessness to college: How Matthew Carey found his calling

Matthew Carey graduated from online high school using the free public Wi-Fi at Brattleboro’s Brooks Memorial Library. The world was just emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, and he’d recently relocated to Brattleboro from Pennsylvania. He took the bus to the library every day to finish his classes.

Matthew’s family life is complicated, as he puts it. He moved to Brattleboro with his father and his three siblings. The family was homeless and struggling financially. At that point in time, college wasn’t in the picture for him. Feeling overwhelmed, like he didn’t know what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go, he found his way to Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS) in Brattleboro. HCRS, the designated agency serving Windham County, offered Matthew time with a case manager and social worker.

Matthew’s case manager suggested he start volunteering at Foodworks in Brattleboro, an organization that helps food insecure community members. He says he originally started at Foodworks because he needed something to do during the day but quickly fell in love with the work: the team he worked with, the people he was serving, the purpose it gave him, and the work itself. Matthew began picking up shift after shift until he was there every day of the week.

A manager at Foodworks knew Matthew was looking for work and showed him the application for the organization’s AmeriCorps position. When the position became available, Matthew applied, even though he says he was intimidated by the paperwork and the hoops he had to jump through.

“That was a big deal for me,” Matthew shares. “I took that leap because I wanted to be part of the team and to help them out.” Taking the volunteer role, then the AmeriCorps job after, were the first steps Matthew took toward his future career in social work—a career that requires a degree.

Leaning on his caseworker and VSAC for support

The case manager also put Matthew in touch with Ran Wang, a counselor in VSAC’s Educational Opportunity Center, which helps adults access college and career training services. Matthew was a few years out of high school at that point and had never had guidance or support in thinking about college. Even the idea of figuring out where to start was incredibly overwhelming to him.

“We were homeless and going through some tough circumstances,” Matthew shares. “I’d decided to go to school, but the financial barrier was always there.”

Ran helped. “She was there every step of the process with me,” he added. “She did the FAFSA with me and connected me with grants and scholarships. Her reassurances helped me see that this was manageable and within my ability.”

Matthew knew he wanted to go to VTSU Castleton. “It’s the only place I applied,” he shares. “I knew the in-state tuition would be the right choice for me, and the school met the big things I needed it to. I’m close to Brattleboro, it’s affordable, and has a good social work program.”

He has a lot of praise for the faculty too. “They care,” he says. “And they’re really motivated to help you. We had this early field experience in our first year in the program that really made me confident I’m in the right place. We got to go and work with and observe a social worker. I loved it.”

Matthew has also found community on campus. He’s in the rock-climbing club, which has proven to be a good outlet for the stress of his academics, and he’s also the president of the Social Issues Club, which he’s trying to get more students involved in.

Matthew is a recipient of multiple VSAC scholarships, as well as other grants and aid. He notes that it’s a huge help, but it doesn’t quite cover everything. Because he lives on campus, he still has about $2500 left after scholarships and grants that he pays each semester. So far, he’s been able to cover it with his AmeriCorps educational award. This is his last semester of eligibility for that award; Matthew is working on figuring something else out for next year.

Drawing on his own experience with homelessness, Matthew is excited to help others land on their feet

Matthew has a bright future ahead of him, and Vermont needs more social workers working in communities around the state.

“The possibilities in social work are endless,” Matthew says. “And exciting.” He’s inspired by his experience working in a drop-in and overnight shelter for people struggling with substance use. And, he’s candid about his own story and his family’s struggle with finances, stable housing, and food security.

“I had a lot of help from social workers in school and out of school,” he shares. “There is an aspect of that where it feels good to be working toward a position where I can give back some of the help I’ve been given. Having an idea of how people who experience this think will only help me be a better social worker, and it’s important for me to be able to give back.”

Technically, Matthew says, he’s still homeless. The situation with his family is one he’d prefer to avoid, he shares, so he lives on campus during the school year and rents a room in Brattleboro in the summers. He’s optimistic about the future and invigorated by the idea of paying forward some of the help he was given.