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Matthew Funderburg

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Finalist

Bio

Education is a pathway to innovation, opportunity, and meaningful change. My passion for learning has led me to pursue a career in hospitality, a field that uniquely brings people from diverse background together through shared experiences. I am fascinated by the power of hospitality to create connections, build communities, and foster understanding. As I pursue my graduate degree, my goal is to launch my own business before graduation and apply the knowledge, leadership skills, and professional network I gain throughout my studies. Beyond personal success, I am committed to creating opportunities that promote economic growth and entrepreneurship within the black community. Through education, business, and service, I hope to make a lasting impact while helping others access opportunities for success.

Education

University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Master's degree program
2026 - 2029
  • Majors:
    • Hospitality Administration/Management

Purdue University-Main Campus

Bachelor's degree program
2016 - 2021
  • Majors:
    • Hospitality Administration/Management

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Hospitality

    • Dream career goals:

      To my own resort

    • Gallery Host

      Hyatt
      2025 – Present1 year
    • Logistics Account Executive Intern

      Total Quality Logistics
      2024 – 20251 year
    • Sales Manager

      Sunrun
      2023 – 20241 year
    • Front of House Manager

      Pappas Restaurants
      2022 – 20231 year
    • Casino Dealer

      Hard Rock International
      2021 – 20221 year
    • Operations Intern

      Levy Restaurants
      2019 – 2019
    • Hotel and Resort Operations Intern

      Stations Casinos
      2019 – 2019
    • Back of House Intern

      Kandle Dining
      2018 – 2018
    • Associate

      Jewel-Osco
      2015 – 20161 year

    Sports

    Football

    Varsity
    2012 – 20142 years

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Politics

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Joe Gilroy "Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan" Scholarship
    Success, to me, has never meant simply finding a comfortable spot in society. It has meant building something that outlasts me. My long term goal is to create a reverse consulting enterprise built specifically to serve the Black community, a company that does the work others promise but never deliver, and routes the profit back to the people doing it. I want to be clear about who this is for. I am not building toward broad inclusion. I believe the Black community has few real allies, and that reparations, or even serious talk of them, are not on the table. So rather than wait for that conversation to happen, I intend to build myself into the position to lead it. The goal is to become a liaison for that kind of progress, and that requires capital, credibility, and a company capable of delivering. The premise is simple. There is untapped potential looming in the unresolved infrastructure issues of underprivileged communities: condemned buildings left to rot, failing plumbing, unsafe water, outdated schools. These are the conditions that make a neighborhood look "poor", and they are the same problems leaders pledge to fix every cycle and never do. The infrastructure the Black community already has to the new and improved ones that have yet to be built, creating a sustainable system that belongs to us. That means fixing the damage directly while ensuring the people who live there profit from the solution: paved roads, beautification projects, functional strip malls, clean air, and the jobs and ownership that come with building all of it. This is not charity. It is reparations through enterprise, minority owned companies given real contrasts, real work, and a real stake in the outcome. I am clear eyed about what stands between vision and reality, and the honest answer is capital and credibility. An operation at this scale costs in the millions, and no committee should take that figure on faith. So my plan begins small and self funded rather than waiting on permission. My first step is two starter businesses designed to generate capital and prove I can execute. Mr. Bell is a housekeeping efficiency app built for hotels and resorts of any size. Word on Da Block is an app for safe event creation. These are not side projects; they are the proving ground. The revenue from both funds my next step, a sustainable, energy efficient resort, and the resort, in turn, generates the capital and operating experience that make reverse consulting real. From there, the resources come in layers. Early on, I rely on donors, crowdfunding, and grassroots investment, because I want this enterprise to be as incorruptible as possible, no agendas, just solutions. As reverse consulting matures, the real engine becomes public infrastructure work, which means learning the actual machinery: minority and disadvantaged business certifications, municipal contracting, and the procurement process idea and a company that can compete for the work. The timing tracks my own path. I am beginning graduate school at UNLV this fall, which gives me the runway to develop the starter businesses while building the knowledge and network the larger enterprise requires. Education first, then capital, then scale each stage earning the right to the next. I know this is ambitious. But I would rather plan for something worth studying than settle for something safe. The Black community has always thrived through mutual support rather than extraction and that is exactly what reverse consulting is built to restore: solve the problem, employ the people, share the profit, and build the footing for us to truly stand.
    Learner Mental Health Empowerment for Health Students Scholarship
    Appreciation for mental health is another way of enhancing the complexities that make up the human body as well as the human experience. As an Black American, healthcare services were taboo for numerous reasons, one being the bill that has to be covered just to use them. Unfortunately this included services like therapy. Because of generational trauma amongst my people, having access to adequate services can mean a lot when deciding whether to continue moving forward or accept defeat amongst the standing status quo. It allows for students and adults to learn a lot about themselves, and what they need to work on. It also allows for a neutral professional to help expound upon ways to heal. Classes can be overwhelming. Sometimes you pay attention to your studies while watching the outside world move into a new realm within your field, and it makes you wonder whether school was the best option or will I be left behind. Students have to live in a bubble for a predetermined amount of time before becoming the person they are studying to be. Mental health is not just necessary it can be life saving. While I was in undergrad at Purdue University, there were a couple of times when we would get notifications on our phones about suicides that happened on campus. A lot of the time it wasn't due to the common factors like bullying. It was due to the curriculum itself and trying to stay afloat without an adequate support system. Advocating for mental health practices can come in a couple of forms that I believe are impactful to an individual. The way I advocate are with the following practices: 1. Disconnect: Social media can make people feel a fear of missing out. For me at 28 years old I get to see my friends getting married, people are having kids, and pushing milestones that I thought I would already be at. This can be depressing. So sometimes the best way to get around that is to disconnect. 2. Get out and socialize: People need other people, just make sure that the people that you are in proximity to have good intentions not just with you, but with themselves. 3. Speak positive about yourself: Bruce Lee once said "Don't speak negatively about yourself, even as a joke. Your body doesn't know the difference. Words are energy and cast spells, that's why it's called spelling. Change the way you speak about yourself, and you can change your life." I believe expounding on these basics can make navigating academia tolerable. What I advocate for are get togethers with friends that have themes to it that can get your mind off of academics entirely, designating SOS terminology that quickly gives friends or mental professionals a heads up that you may be having a mental health emergency, and also, especially for the black community, normalize advising others to seek therapy.
    Sylvester Taylor Hospitality Scholarship
    Growing up, I experienced resorts, cruises, hotels, and local restaurants that made me feel special, even as one guest among many. For me, hospitality is the art of making people feel at home wherever they are. At its best, it transforms travel into meaningful experiences rooted in belonging and discovery. My vision for hospitality is to create spaces that foster connection between cultures. I aim to build resorts that honor the local culture while exemplifying both modern and timeless hospitality. My goal is for guests to leave with a deeper appreciation for the communities they visit and the people they encounter. Equally as important to me is the well-being of my employees. Employees must be fairly compensated and supported in order to excel at hospitality, because without them, the vision crumbles. Hospitality, to me, is not just about taking care of the guest, but also the people who serve them. I would like to build professional environments where kindness, respect, and genuine care for others are valued and rewarded. I want employees to feel a sense of ownership and pride, as though they are welcoming guests into a home they genuinely care for. I want hospitality professionals to be able to take pride in the places they help create and maintain. Ideally, employees should feel a sense of ownership in the environment they share with guests. Only when a place feels authentic can it create a noticeable impact on the world as a stage of compassion. Hospitality is a bridge between cultures and communities. Many things divide us in this world, and it's my belief that spaces that encourage conversation, understanding, and natural respect should be abundant. My goal is to leave behind a blueprint of how to create places where guests, employees, and people from all backgrounds can come together in an atmosphere of genuine hospitality.