Earlier this year, Matt Crary was hired as the Oneida Indian Nation’s new Scholarship Coordinator. Matt comes to the Nation from the Syracuse City School District where he taught at Frazer Middle School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oswego and studied history with a concentration in Native American studies. Soon after, he earned his master’s in education from SUNY Oswego as well.
After graduating from Westhill High School in 2007, Matt served four years in the Army. He worked a few different jobs after returning from the service, but wanted to get more involved in education – which ultimately led him to Oswego and his job at Frazer.
Matt’s first teaching job was an eye-opening experience for him. He realized many students simply don’t know about the opportunities that are available to them and what an education – at any level – can do for them. Outside of the curriculum, he made it a point to share how to create a career or education plan. It’s a key developmental skill that can help kids determine where they ultimately want to go once they graduate.
In his role as Scholarship Coordinator, Matt will assist Members with the application process in addition to helping Members develop potential career paths. The program provides financial assistance to students enrolled in qualified certificate programs to professional practice doctoral programs. He will also be responsible for communicating with students and the schools to provide information and support throughout the process.
“I’m excited to get started,” Matt said. “I want to help students better themselves and education is a great avenue to do that.”
With a background in education and a passion for helping students achieve their goals, Matt wants to hit the ground running. Building on the recent advances in the program, which included a new Policies and Procedures Guidebook and an online application, is a top priority for Matt. He hopes the process becomes easier for Members so more can take advantage of the popular program.
“I want to start doing outreach to the community here,” he said. “So getting to the schools in the area that we have Members at to inform them is huge. It’s about making sure they know the options they have available to them.”
Matt’s office is located at the Ray Elm Children and Elders Center and he is available Monday through Friday from 8:30am – 5:00pm. If you are interested in learning more about the Scholarship Program or other educational programs, you can contact him at (315) 829-8150 or at mcrary@oneida-nation.org.
