A Richmond education inspires our students for the rest of their lives, encouraging them to explore new topics and places. Sometimes even a single class can affect the trajectory of our alums’ careers or passions — like in the case of Matt Harrison, ’05.

Since writing about homelessness for his undergraduate anthropology thesis, Harrison was inspired to begin volunteering at Caritas, an organization that helps those dealing with homelessness and addiction in the Richmond area. But his work didn’t end at graduation.

Today, Harrison works as a data researcher with the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and helped pitch the idea of a partnership with Caritas to help enroll homeless adults in an expanded Medicaid program. The ultimate goal is to enroll an estimated 400,000 uninsured Virginians.

“I wanted to get a better understanding of what being homeless is like in my hometown,” he said in a recent article about what spurred his work in college.

We are so proud of our alums who dedicate their time to make our world a better place!