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gmu ‘30
@gmu4n6
“nothing we learn about them is alien to ourselves” - edith hamilton

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razzle dazzle uh huh uh huh

pc: @ian.candyman

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Dear Matthew,

I hope you had the MOST MARVELOUS birthday of your life so far!!! I know had for sure! I’m here to let you know that it’s only the beginning!! You still have so much learning to do. So many great people to meet. And so many marvelous things to do and to give to others! No matter the presents and gifts you are given, friends and family will always be the best because there’s no greater gift than love. Just remember that you are always loved for who you are, you are never alone in any situation, and most importantly, God is always with you and will always carry you!! Enjoy the memories and moments in life as much as you can and be grateful for your surroundings!! Always count your blessings no matter what!
Happy (late) Birthday, Marvelous MattBOOM!

Sincerely, your 21 year old future self
P.S. You never know when life could be a dream!
💙💙💙

#21stbirthday #lifecouldbeadreamshaboom #friendsandfamily #disneyland #cars

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Second Day Working at the LHUCA FFAT!!!!

(plus late July dump lol)
💙💙💙

#firstfridayarttrail #julydump #fireworks #charlieandthechocolatefactory

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EVERY NIGGA IS A STAR 🌟

I knew I was in love with speech when I realized I could tell my OWN story - A story with many working parts that has brought me to this very moment.

“What are you” started about a year ago today. I was in a room full of people that made me feel less than human, a mule if you will. I was told in that very room that “I didn’t belong” because I wasn’t “black enough”, but back home I would have the problem of not being “white enough.” I was confused and frustrated because I had to think about where I truly belonged. I knew in that moment that I would do a piece about the mixed/biracial experience, because if I asked you if you’ve ever heard a story about it… would you say yes?

I am the product of loving v virginia, a white mother that has given me the privilege of being strong in my own skin, and a black father that would be so proud that my hair is as big as his was. When my dad passed away I lost the only black figure in my life, and it became hard to connect with my own people. But his passing soon gave me a space to find out every shade of who I am. I AM A MF MULEEEEEEE!!!
(peep the lucky bracelet my dad and I made on the last slide:)

My only goal was to show more and more people this story, and I took in every second of every little interaction I had. I loved meeting so many new people and being in the presence of TRUE ART!!! @bhscrew_ has given me so much with such little time and I’ll forever cherish every second I spent in the program. I was taught by the most amazing coach that stuck with me and listened to me even when I couldn’t get my words out. I’ll continue to share my voice and perform until I can’t anymore!

And in the transition from light to dark, what do we call it when we are from halfway there… WE say a chant WE can only hear…

EVERY. NIGGA. IS. A. STAR

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I’ll be back.
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A lot of thank you to come! Warning!

Thank you God for getting me to this moment. I find myself surrounded by so many blessings. I know God loves me because of the people and achievements in my life that He has truly blessed me with.

Thank you to my family. To my mamá, I love you! Thank you for always being my biggest supporter and keeping me grounded. To my papá, te quiero tanto y estoy tan orgulloso q soy el hijo de un hombre tan amable. And pa mi abuelita, gracias por orar por mi seguridad y salud. Tienes fe q no puedo explicar con palabras, y te quiero muchísimo. And shoutout to Andrea and Ben!!!❤️

Thank you to the Hermantown Speech Team for giving me the opportunity to spread my message at the national level. This activity has helped me share stories, impact lives, and raise awareness for so many important issues. Thank you to my head coach and two assistant coaches for being so brutally honest and flexible with me, and always giving me good pep talks whenever I need one. Thank you to my NSDA traveling team of Izzy, Alee, and Ms. Stifter for making me hate flying just a little less.

Thank you to my fellow captains Alee, Kendall, and Taryn for making the heavy workload a lot easier to carry. You three provide strong leadership and a support system that anyone would be lucky to have. Thank you to the rest of the Hermantown Speech Team for kicking some serious butt this year. Roll Hawks!! 🦅

Thank you to Brooklyn for putting up with me and being such a good listener even when I rant about a whole lot of nothing. Thank you to my friends who have no idea what speech is but choose to support me anyway. Thank you to all of my speech friends for helping create such a positive community that has kept me in the activity throughout the years.

Thank you seniors. I will miss each and every one of you!

One last goodbye to my poetry program which lasted 2 meets, my code-switching info, my prose/DI “Movie Night” by Nestor Gomez, and most of all, “Speak American,” my POI and my favorite piece I have ever performed. I will miss you all dearly. 14/260 ain’t too shabby.

“How do you tame a wild tongue?” - Gloria Anzaldúa

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Four years ago, I sat up in my bed late at night before my first speech tournament wondering "I wonder what will happen after this?"
What happened was falling in love with an activity that has changed my life incomprehensibly.

When I think about my time in speech, I do not think about all my placements, my medals, and my trophies (though I did only showcase about half in this post :p), I think about the time, commitment, and friendships I've built instead.

I started out as a novice in Creative Expression and Duo Interpretation, scared, nervous, and concerned about giving a good performance. I had spent many hours upon hours as a freshmen prepping, memorizing, and working with my speech mom @aiyacleveland and my first duo partner @lydia_ellarose . When the first finals dropped and I saw my name, I SCREAMED! Who would have thought a freshman would final, let alone double break at their first tournament? I walked home with two 5th places and determination to keep going. I wasnt upset about my final outcome, moreso inspired by the amazing speakers I witnessed.

As tournaments came and gone, I continued to be inspired by amazing speakers and my friends (and sure, finaling partially kept my determination going) Sophomore year I became the first state qualifiers (Duo) my school had had in six years! Junior year I began earning champion titles and earned a slot at NIETOC! Senior year, I became my schools first 3-time state qualifier, earned our highest point-record, and became our first national qualifier in 13 years.

Saying I will miss speech is an understatement. This activity has allowed me to meet so many talented and amazing people, as well as share my stories and what I stand for. There is nothing that has come close to that, but I am excited for what the future may hold.

To Paul, Sifan, Snigdha, Welling, and all of the other non-class of 26 speechies, I wish you luck and success on your future seasons, and know you have made a positive impact on my speech career.
To all of my graduated speechies, may we move forward with strength and continue to share our stories.
Anyways, this is too long so... NIETOC Semifinalist and NSDA Quarterfinalist 2026, Dio M #out

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see you never manchester wifi 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

nats ‘26!!!!

thank you speech and debate for giving me a space to share my voice and for allowing me to share my story to so many different people. thank you to everyone i have met in this space and i am truly grateful for all of you.

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2026 debate nationals you were amazing!

Thank you to @lbkhighdebatestudents for the most amazing 4 years. Forever a speech and debate nerd.
#giveme4moreyearspls

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Thank you Manchester high school WiFi for always being there for me❤️ Debate nationals 2026 was hype, love this trip and these people!! As we all know from the icon Sarah Blakey, these memories will last us a lifetime❤️

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blue raspberry flavored reflecting pool + people that are going places

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Omg. This trip was the most amazing experience! I had so much fun with my Lubbock friends, and I will miss all my seniors so so much when y’all leave😢 I couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate Nats26 than with my favorite people💕

#BUHBUHKUMVUHDUHforever

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This was the May! What a bittersweet month! It’s exciting and sweet to get a big break, but it’s even more exciting and sweet to see some friends and family starting their new chapter in their lives. I’ve had a lot of them graduate this year. Most at Tech and LHS, some at Frenship and LCHS, one at Ropes, one at Talkington and one at Shallowater. Over 21 loved ones of mine graduated this year, college and high school. To quote a friend of mine, “That’s craaaaaazzzyyy!!!” And it’s also beautiful!!! I’m glad I spent half of the month doing what I can to support them whether we’re close or not because showing up matters. To all of my friends and family that graduated, congratulations again and I pray for you to keep moving forward and remember to cherish the people around you, and you will always have my love and support.
God bless, everyone!!!
💙💙💙

#maydump #graduationseason #bittersweet #congratulations

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