Matt Mariner

Age: 15 (Touchstone graduating class of 2007)

After Touchstone what school(s) did you attend?

Bancroft School

Current endeavors (professional, hobbies, family life):

Bristol Recording Artist, MPAC (Milford Performing Arts Center), Bancroft School Shadow Host

Favorite Touchstone memory:

As much as I hated making “Voyage to the Sea,” at the time, the movie is something I worked really hard on and I am really proud of the results.
How did Touchstone prepare you for what you do today?

Touchstone’s curriculum prepared me well for all my subjects in school, and I’m thankful that I was able to experience the OSP’s growing science program. I think most students at Touchstone will agree that they are able to really connect with the teachers and adults there. My experiences with adults at Touchstone has helped me feel more comfortable asking questions and asking for help when I am confused.

At Touchstone, I ended up feeling comfortable with all the kids in my class and we all basically became friends. That built up my confidence while making friends at my new school. Without those experiences it would have been a lot harder for me to step out of my comfort zone and make an effort towards other students. I am happy to say that I am now friendly with the entire freshman class at Bancroft.

The test practice I did in the OSP and one-on-one with Katy has been a great help as well. Last year, I learned so many tips about how to get through questions I am not sure about, and this has been of great assistance throughout my academic career at Bancroft. The biggest thing TCS has given me though, is [a] philosophy of fully understanding a concept rather than just studying facts. So when I see a new and surprising problem, I can just try and figure it out the answer using my knowledge and understanding of the concept rather then trying to remember what the teacher or textbook said about it.