Many students at Mount Michael have seen or briefly talked to the new assistant senior dean, but not many outside the senior class know much about him.
      Matthew Holt is a 2002 Mount Michael graduate. Currently, he is studying in a full-time undergraduate program at Creighton University. He plans to attend dental school at Creighton the year after next.
      Holt says that balancing a full course load at Creighton and being a Mount Michael dean is “tough.” He attends classes that begin at 8:30 A.M. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He says, “Gas costs a bunch and the drive can be 35 to 40 minutes long.”
      At Creighton Holt is and has been involved with several extra-curricular activities. He is currently a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He was a resident assistant at Creighton for two years. A resident assistant is much like a Mount Michael dean, except that Holt was in charge of a much larger area at Creighton. Holt is also the current vice-president of the Creighton Pre-Dental Society. At Mount Michael the intramural list is a bit limited: football, Frisbee and basketball. At Creighton Holt participates in a much longer list of sports: basketball, soccer, football, dodge ball and whiffle ball, to name a few.
Holt intends to stay at the Mount for the rest of this school year and the next school year as well. After that year, if things go according to his plan, he will begin his dental school studies.
      Holt came back to Mount Michael for a few reasons. “First, I knew that I needed a full time job. Also I had always wanted to come back here to give back all that Mount Michael gave me.” Holt had been a resident assistant at Creighton for two years, so he had some viable experience. He said “I felt that it would be a smooth transition.” Originally, Holt planned to take a job here for the 2006-07 school year, but the administration contacted him and asked him to work this year.
      While Holt was a student at the Mount, he ran cross country in the fall and played soccer in the spring. As a cross country runner he was part of the junior varsity squad for four years. As a soccer player, however, he was one of only two freshmen to be placed on the varsity team. Holt’s freshman year was also Terrence Buschelman’s first year as the head Mount Michael soccer coach. Things looked promising for Holt’s soccer career, but he fractured his back sophomore year. Trying to play through the pain, Holt turned the fracture into a complete break. After that he was unable to play. While he couldn’t play, he didn’t abandon the sport altogether. He says “After that I basically helped coach.” Holt intends to be an assistant Mount Michael soccer coach for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
      Since Holt’s graduation is relatively recent, he had many of the same teachers that present Mount Michael students do. He was not sure what to say for his favorite teacher. He liked all of the educators because each had their strengths and methods of teaching. He also said “Personally, the teachers that I felt closest to would have been Mr. Gathje, Mr. Wasmoen and Mr. Buschelman.”
Many Mount Michael students have experienced at least one common experience while at Mount Michael: trouble. Mr. Holt says “I didn’t really get into trouble that much during my time at Mount Michael, either because I didn’t come out of my shell much during high school, or,” as he laughs “because I was just that good of a kid.”
      Mount Michael welcomes back Matt Holt as its new assistant senior dean. Senior Grant Mathey says “Mr. Holt has the potential to be the best Mount Michael dean ever.”      

by Aaron Wiese