The Hilltop 4

The Hilltop Thursday, September 23, 2010.

You might not know Matthew Aaron Holbert by name but you have definitely seen him on campus.

Whether he is dancing in the café or performing at an open mic, Holbert is a burst of energy.

“I came to this campus and I re-alized that I have a lot energy,” said the junior musical theatre major.

Raised in Metuchen, N.J., the 20 year old decided to follow in his grandmother and uncle’s footsteps and attend Howard University. He remembers his audition for the Divi-sion of Fine Arts’ Musical Theatre department and how impressed he was with the school’s mission.

“What I loved about this pro-gram was [their] focus on the indi-vidual. Howard looks at potential,” said Holbert.

Holbert was raised amongst a spiritual family where his grand-mother and mother instilled the im-portance of attending church. He credits his parents and his grandpar-ents for his strong faith and love for God.

“Going to church on Sundays was natural. Like we had to go to church... That was a given,” Holbert said .

Since he was a little boy, Holbert had a strong, loving relationship with his mother.

He reflects on the times where she would offer him advice about anything he asked. During his mid-term season in his senior year of high school, Holbert lost his mother to stage four-breast cancer.

“When my mother passed away, it was one of the most challenging things I ever faced,” said Holbert. “Most people were preparing for midterms, and I couldn’t. I couldn’t focus.”

He came home from the hospi-tal and had a personal conversation with God that helped ease his pain and continues his senior year.

“I sat in a very dark room and said ‘God what do I do now?’ He said [to me] ‘Stay with me now. Your mother is healed. Don’t worry I will take care of you. Trust in me.’”

Nonetheless, Holbert would con-tinue to deal with his pain in other outlets like sporadic dancing and en-tertaining for laughs and attention. But after coming to Howard, he gained friends that really wanted to help and love him. His new friends allowed him to feel comfortable and deal with his loss appropriately.

“My energy used to be a façade because I did not want to deal with

the pain of what happened to my mother,” Holbert said. “My broth-ers and sisters here taught me that it was okay to feel sad. That it was okay to cry.”

One of his favorite moments at Howard so far was his twentieth birthday this February. His friends or his family, as he calls them, in the Fine Arts department surprised him when he walked into the theater.

“I walked in Ira Aldridge The-atre and all the theatre arts students rushed to the stage and they sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. They gave me a large card that each of them signed. I truly felt loved,” Holbert recalls.

There’s no doubt that Holbert has grown as a person since coming to Howard. With the help of men-tors and school advisors, he is work-ing to improve his work ethic.

“Most of these things I am telling you are things I learned at Howard. [While at Howard, I am] continuing to find new things about myself as a human being.”

Holbert, who suffers from a slight communication disorder, rec-ognizes that he has to put in extra efforts to focus.

However, he is determined to be successful while at Howard and be-yond.

“I want to not only do Howard shows but to be able to sing, dance, act, and grow when I finish this year,” said Holbert. “I want to do more shows definitely.”

Right now, Holbert’s main goal is to raise his GPA to a 4.0.

“I get distracted really easily. I have to pull myself together. I just have to learn how to focus myself,”

Holbert said. He recognizes his gifts and tal-

ents as an actor, singer, dancer, writ-er, and rapper. He plans to continue to perfect his craft and serve God while doing so.

“Just being here is special and the Lord brought me here.”

Tales From the Mecca From the Bottom to the Top

by Chaia RaibonStaff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Matthew Aaron Holbert

Matthew Aaron Holbert, junior musical theatre major, has set signts on achieving a 4.0 GPA and a career in musical theater.

This Monday, eight students in the John H. Johnson School of Com-munications worked as interns for CNBC’s Investing In America: Town Hall Event with President Barack Obama at the Newseum.

Brittany Jacob, Jasmine Turner, Lauren James, Chesa Richmond, Maquita Eaton, Chaia Raibon, Keith Benn, and Chris Coward (not pictured) worked along CNBC producers and crew to help put on the hour long event.

- Written by Chaia Raibon, Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Chaia Raibon Staff Writer

From HU to CNBC

Pre-Law Conference Sets Up at Howard University

Ryan C. Hamilton Staff Photographer

Students at the pre-law conference learn about how to apply to law school and what opportunities the schools provide.