Matthew Grimes '12

Educator & Consultant, DEI Strategist, Racial Justice Advocate

Hometown: Troy, NY

Major: Spanish, Multicultural Studies Minor

Current Involvement: Equity & Inclusion Fellow at Harvard, Leadership for Educational Equity: People of Color Emerging Policy & Advocacy Leader, Cultural Proficiency Trainer

Involvement while at Siena: Study Abroad (Spain & Ecuador), Alternative Spring Break Team Leader (Dominican Republic)

How do you involve yourself in your community? My goal is to support communities and organizations on their journeys toward becoming anti-racist. I currently involve myself in various communities by advocating for change and justice, particularly in the education field. I also coach and mentor new educators of color.

Describe a typical day in your life. 

I wish I could say one day was as typical as another, but there are many moving pieces in my life, especially with the onslaught of COVID-19. On average, my days usually consist of working and then collecting and curating resources to support organizations during the evening. I read a lot of articles and literature on the daily. I am also pursuing a degree in Education Policy, so classes consume a lot of my time. When I do have free time, I try to unwind my spending time with my son, dog, or catching up on episodes of “Money Heist” on Netflix. 

How did your Siena education prepare you for the work you’re doing today?

Siena opened my mind to the broad field of Social Justice and equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to work in the field of education. All of my courses incorporated some aspect of the values of inclusion and compassion and challenged me to think globally while impacting locally. It was at Siena where I learned to challenge practices and policies that were not built for historically marginalized communities and where I developed an unwavering commitment to educational equity. 

Describe your professional progression since leaving Siena. 

Upon leaving Siena, I was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English in Argentina and study race relations on the Bolivian/Argentine border. From there, I joined Teach for America and moved to Cleveland, Ohio where I taught high school and middle school Spanish for several years before returning to the Capital Region. For the past few years, I have been working with education and social justice organizations, advocating for more inclusive work environments and an increase in the number of Black and Latinx leaders inside of the classroom. I have also participated in a number of fellowships, presented at several local and national conferences, and continue to push my own learning as well.