Undergraduate Profile: Matthew Mederos ’25

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Matthew Mederos ’25

Matthew Mederos ’25 never planned to go to college. As someone with ADHD and OCD, Mederos found school a consistent challenge and couldn’t imagine four more years of intensive study.

Amid high school and COVID-19, he and his family moved from Miami to Atlanta. School became difficult not only academically but also socially. “I was lacking Christian community, so my prayer for two years was that the Lord would provide that,” he said. During his senior year, his mom convinced him to submit a few college applications and, ultimately, to tour Wheaton. He visited on an overcast spring Saturday with pandemic restrictions still in place. Students interacted outside—six feet apart and masked. Despite those realities, he’d never seen such a vibrant community. “As soon as I got to campus, I was immediately convinced that this was where the Lord wanted me,” he said.

Since enrolling, Mederos has continued to find academics difficult, but he has not faced the challenge alone. “I’ve found so many people who struggle like I do,” he said. Fellow classmates have offered him their notes and their time as study partners. Professors have given him slides to review before class and grace to finish assignments at a pace that works best for him. As an interpersonal communication major, he appreciates how his classes help him to understand and love others.

Beyond connections in the classroom, Mederos has found community through Men’s Glee Club, his on-campus job with Academic and Institutional Technology, and his brother-sister floor from his years in Smith-Traber Hall. This year, his friend group managed to get units on the same floor of the campus-owned Saint and Elliot Apartments, maintaining the close connection they established during their freshman year.

As Mederos enters his final year, he’s looking back on how he’s grown. He credits this growth to his friendships, specifically how his friends have prayed for him and spoken biblical truths to him in challenging times. “The church is alive and brimming full of life here at Wheaton,” he said. The community that first drew him to Wheaton College has carried him through.