Long Live Svedman

Vanguard students recently experienced a tremendous loss. Prospect Highschool alumnus Matthew Svedman passed away January 31st at the age of 19. He was a son, a brother, and a friend. And a friend to many he was. Even to some students right here at Vanguard. I got the chance to speak to a few of them and they shared thoughts and had so much to say about their dear friend.

Matt was known for his honesty. According to his friends, he would often share his opinions and not hold anything back. He told a person exactly what he thought of them and had amazing judgment. Matt was the type of person who told it to you straight and is remembered by his friends as one of the realest persons they had ever come across. People remember Matt as a hard worker. There's no goal he couldn't reach. Stopping at nothing to get where he had to go and get what he needed. His friends say he was admired greatly at his job in a shoe store for his work ethic.

"I'll always remember him as being a hard worker. He always supported you. He was always a genuine friend and remained that way through thick and thin," said Miki Grabowski.

His humor is another trait his friends loved and is often the first thing everyone noticed about him. According to his friends, a typical day with Matt was always filled with nonstop laughter, making everyone crack a smile with his irony, sarcasm, and incredible wit. "If you were around Matt, you were always laughing no matter what," said Chris Kopec.

Matt's intellect was unmatched. It is the one thing everyone remembers the most about him. Whether he was talking about the music he loved, playing an instrument, having a heart to heart conversation with someone, philosophizing, he just always had something to say and knew so much. His brilliance spoke volumes.

"He’s one of those people you'll definitely miss when he's gone. He was acknowledged and appreciated when he was here but in his absence there's an unavoidable gap. It's so sad that the world will never fully witness Matt's intelligence. All we're left with is the memories and the ability to further appreciate the quality of our lives," said Emily Casey.

All of his friends I spoke with seemed completely in love with him. The impact he had on so many lives can never be measured. A wake was held February 6th and his funeral was the following day. Vanguard students went and gathered in his honor, they paid their respects and said goodbye to their dear friend. Matt was one of the most genuine, most insightful, and honest friends anyone could have and he will forever be loved and missed by those closest to him, said Grabowski.

"Life comes at you fast and you have to be prepared. I hope that when he's looking down at us he'll have some sort of sarcastic remark. I'll always miss him and those remarks," said Kopec.