Matthew Minich
Matthew Minich is a Sophomore at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is a double major in Secondary Education and History, with a minor in Interdisciplinary Social Science. Matthew aspires to be a High School History teacher, combining his two interests of history and leadership while working with young adults. At James Madison University, Matthew is a JMU Student Ambassador, and provides campus tours to prospective students. Matthew is a Leadership Couselor for Make Your Mark On Madison (MYMOM), a leadership development program at JMU that teaches students leadership skills and techniques. Matthew is also an active senator in JMU's Student Government Association (SGA).
Matthew is proud to have participated as a group member or a captain in all twelve of his Spoken Word showcases from 2015-2019 at OPRFHS. They would not have been the same without the profound impact Mr. Peter Kahn and Mr. Adam Levin had on him. At OPRFHS, Matthew enjoyed his Sophomore English and Senior AP Art History classes the most. His two teachers, Mr. James Sieck and Mr. Mark Collins, left a lasting impact on the value of education. Matthew also learned valuable leadership skills in his Senior Leadership Launch class, taught by Mr. John Hoerster.
During the summer, Matthew is the Program Director at Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan, a scout camp in Northern Wisconsin. Matthew has worked there for seven years, and calls it his second home. Matthew is a proud Eagle Scout and has been involved in Scouting since elementary school. He loves to camp, backpack, and travel. He has been to many national parks, East and West, from Arches in Utah to Denali in Alaska.
Matthew owes all of his successes to his parents, Joyce and Jim. They have been constant forces of positivity in his life, and have been encouraging at every step of the way. He would like to thank his mom and dad, and his two brothers Garrett (OPRHS Class of '19, University of Illinois Class of '23) and John (OPRFHS Class of '21, Boston College Class of '25) for being the best family he could ask for.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
Spoken Word was the most influential aspect of my high school experience. It taught me valuable leadership and personal skills, and so much more than just how to write and read poetry. Every after school meeting in the computer lab or in the hall way helped me form new relationships with my fellow OPRFHS students. I am forever in debt to Mr. Kahn and my fellow poets in Spoken Word for teaching me so much about myself and allowing me to grow socially and personally. Every showcase, from my Fall 2015 showcase to my final Senior Solo in Spring of 2019, has been a wild mix of adrenaline and excitement. There is nothing in the world quite like performing at a Spoken Word showcase. You are surrounded by friends and family and you get the opportunity to share words that are meaningful and impactful to you. I cannot thank Spoken Word enough.
Writing Prompts
Zoom in on a favorite summer time memory and use a combination of figurative and literal language to bring the reader back there with you
Use smell and taste as a tool to help describe a moment in time you’d love to re-live
Focus on a favorite sport to watch or play. Zoom in on a favorite moment as a spectator or participant
Poetry in general has been an important part of my life. More recently, I have not been reading or writing as often as I did in high school. However, I owe a great deal of my paper-writing skills to the techniques I learned in Spoken Word. Outside of poetry, writing is still an important part of my life. I am a History major, and write many papers while reading many historic and contemporary texts. Reading and writing these difficult pieces has been made easier by my writing experience in Spoken Word.
Whoever you are, if you are unsure if you want to write poetry, I would encourage you to do so! Try it out, and who knows, maybe you'll be a senior in high school wondering where all four years went.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
This section is for my fellow Spoken Word poets and captains. From Corina Robinson and Jesus Govea to my first captain Blair Ripley, I have been constantly inspired by my fellow poets at OPRFHS. Each of them is uniquely talented, and they all have different stories to tell. Thank You.