FOCUS Missionary, 2016 - 2018
matthew.ballezafocus.org
Matt was born in Jerusalem, Israel but spent most of his upbringing in Annapolis, Maryland. He is the oldest of 4 children and a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park. During his time in college, he studied international business, joined the UMD film club, and fell in love with the works of Shakespeare. After graduation he completed a year-long Fellows program in Washington D.C. focused on faith and vocation, and after that remained in the D.C. area for 3 years working at a small wealth management firm. In 2014 he left the financial industry and worked for an editorial design agency in Charlottesville, VA before moving back to his hometown and receiving the call to be a FOCUS missionary. In his free time he enjoys fishing, playing tennis, and writing short stories. And of course, he is so excited and grateful to be serving at Harvard this year!