Matthew Shlonsky (Theta Eta #155)
On August 15, 2015, Matthew was murdered in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. He was caught by two stray bullets shot from a gang member down the block right after Matt got out of a cab. He was heading to a going away party for a brother—a last testament to his commitment to his friends and brothers after college.
He was known for his laugh, his strong commitment to the friends in his life and his involvement in AU’s community. He was a member of the hockey team, a tutor on campus, in D.C. and within the local synagogue and talked often about his study abroad to Chile. The seemingly endless amount of time he put into all these activities and his career at Deloitte Consulting held him in high regard to those that knew him.
In spirit of his memory, the School of International Service Matthew C. Shlonsky Memorial Fund for the District of Columbia has been established. This is a result of discussion between his family; professors and academic leaders at American University; the local and national fraternity; and his friends
So far, the efforts have been led by several Pi Kapp brothers of Matt’s—from his associate member class, older brothers that saw him grow and younger brothers that were mentored by him. Multiple fundraisers have been held around the city—including a launch of the fund at the restaurant Matt was heading when he was shot.
Other efforts from brothers have lead to generous donations from organizations and businesses they are a part of. Brothers spoke to the School of International Service’s Dean Council—a group of AU alumni who are large donors to the school.
These efforts to date have resulted in almost $43,000 being raised—just short of the $50k needed to have the scholarship endowed. This will allow the fund to be added to the school’s endowment and live in perpetuity—securing many years of Matt’s legacy living on through scholarship and research.
On June 15, there will be another fundraiser in D.C. and we welcome any brother in the area to join. Information can be found here.
We hope you candonate by visiting this website or at least share information about the scholarship found here.
Matt Rosenberg, Theta Eta #173, is a 2015 graduate from American University and lives in DC. Matt Shlonsky is (not was) his big brother within the fraternity and best friend.