Pause for Coz Profile - Matt Guichard ’24
Matt Guichard ’24 chose SCU in part because of its reputation for small class sizes and the one-on-one relationships students can form with their professors. He was also drawn to the reputation of the Leavey School of Business, where he studies finance, which “plays into my intellectual strengths, allowing me to use my problem solving and analytical skills,” he explains, adding that the major also appeals to him given the large number of potential job opportunities in the field.
Matt also appreciates SCU’s focus on experiential learning. “My favorite class so far has been Financial Accounting and my Professor, Chris Paisley, spoke extensively about his own professional experiences, which bridged the gap between the classroom and its applications to the real world in an interesting and unique way.”
As a Fr. Coz Scholarship recipient, Guichard says its biggest impact was on his parents and the stress it alleviated. “This scholarship not only enables me to attend Santa Clara, but allowed my parents to relax a bit, and I can see the impact it has had on their wellbeing,” he explains. The breathing room also allows him to take advantage of all that SCU campus life has to offer. When not in class, he enjoys playing intramural soccer which was “a great way to be active with my friends, and ended up getting pretty competitive in the playoffs,” he says.
“As a former De La Salle student, I have been around many communities touched by Fr. Coz,” he says. “The Fr. Coz Scholarship is so much more than financial support, I can see it the community it creates, and the impact it has on so many lives,” he says. “As a student, I hope to be someone that people on campus feel comfortable reaching out to for any sort of help, whether that’s academic or just someone to talk to,” he says. “Post-graduation, I hope to be a strong alumni connection for future recipients of this scholarship to bolster their future success.”