Matt Moretto
Matt Moretto was nine years out of high school when he enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College
(Tri-C®). The College’s reputation for access and affordability made it an obvious choice.
“Tri-C opened the door to my future,” said Moretto, now a member of the inaugural class of Dean’s Leadership Fellows at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. “It enabled me to take all the general education requirements for my bachelor’s degree at a cost I could afford.”
Moretto took full advantage of his Tri-C experience, joining the Honors Program and working in the Western Campus mailroom. He met many people who ended up playing pivotal roles in his life, including a writing professor who told him he “wrote like a lawyer” and should consider law as a profession.
His mailroom job introduced him to Career Services staff who, aware of his love of politics, informed Moretto of an opportunity for Tri-C students to work at the 2016 Republican National Convention. “Even though I’m a Democrat, I leapt at the opportunity,” he said.
Moretto graduated from Tri-C with an Associate of Arts and an Associate of Science, serving as student speaker at the College’s Fall 2016 Commencement ceremony. Degrees in hand, he applied and was accepted to The Ohio State University, where he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He is a recipient of OSU’s Lawrence J.R. Herson Award for Academic Excellence, which recognizes seniors graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
Following his passion for politics — and powered by the encouragement he received during his time at Tri-C — Moretto continues to further his education as a full-time CSU student, pursuing a master’s in public administration as well as a Juris Doctor degree.
His advice for other nontraditional students thinking about enrolling in college?
“It’s never too late. Try it out, and see how you like it. Even a course or two at a time will eventually add up to a degree. Work within your life constraints. Make a plan, and do your best to stick to it.”