I first met Matt in the spring of 2010 at the annual Leadership Summit – a one-day conference distinguishing students involved in JMU organizations. The program helped recognize leaders on campus and helped empower organizations to work together. Although he was only a freshman, Matt Wisneiwski was not a participant – he was my small group facilitator.
When I then found out that I was working alongside Wisneiwski as a 2k10 FrOG, honestly, I was intimidated.
“Matt’s enthusiasm inspired me and kept me going all week,” Wisneiwski’s FrOG partner junior Jenny Ludwig said. “He was 
excited to get things going every morning and genuinely cared about each one of our first years.”
In addition to “frogging,” Wisneiwski serves on the Student Government Association’s (SGA) executive board acting as the Director of Membership Development. Through such, he holds new member meetings every Wednesday; tracks group dynamics; helps schedule bonding activities; and contacts speakers including Dr. Mark Warner, The Center for Multicultural Student Services, alumni, etc.
“I like being informed about the events going on around JMU,” Wisneiwski said. “I feel like a more integral part of the Madison community because I can voice my opinion. I feel like I can be the change around JMU.”
Wisneiwski’s resume also includes Make Your Mark On Madison with Leadership Counselor Danny Lampton, the JMU Honor Council, community council president for Wayland Hall in 2009-2010, intramurals, and Outriggers for a year.
“I’ve realized I started to gravitate toward clubs that welcome in new people,” Wisneiwski said. “It allows you to compensate for someone else’s discomfort with your own confidence and enthusiasm.”
Given his impressive involvement on campus, it’s ironic to think that he nearly didn’t come to JMU at all.
Wisneiwski was close to becoming an officer in the Air Force. To do such, a perspective student needs a Congressional nomination and needs to be granted acceptance to the school. He received a nomination from the President of the United States to the US Air Force Academy. After being declined by the Academy, however, he found JMU.
“I like that it’s small where I’d not know everyone but am still not just a number,” he said.
Wisneiwski is an engineering major with an environmental focus and a math/business minor. According to Wisneiwski, the engineering program tries to build people who have brains, but also have the ability to communicate their thoughts and make a connection to the consumer. JMU is also one of the highest ranked schools nationally for environmental consciousness.
In my opinion, aside from his outgoing personality and inspiring involvement, one of Matt’s most distinctive characteristics is the purple JMU baseball cap he always wears.
The hat was a pass-down from 2010 graduate Andy Gibson.
“Andy was a great friend,” Wisneiwski said. “At a time in my life that I had a big transition from high school to college, I was looking for the person that I wanted to be and he stepped in. I didn’t try to become him, but the experiences we had helped me become a more connected citizen to the JMU community.”
In my first post, I mentioned Rachel Scott’s challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness. She writes: “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will stat a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”
I believe that Wisneiwski is a testament to the idea of continuing the chain.
“You could see the impact he had on each one of them as they began to really look up to him and respect him as both a leader and a friend,” Ludwig said.
campbess
Be the Change, JMU 