Leadership Awards and Honors Press Portfolio Hobbies Resume LinkedIn icon Instagram icon

15

Leadership Positions Currently Serving

80+

Awards and Honors

18

Publications

310+

Community Service Hours
Just a basic picture of Matt Tobin

About Matthew

Hi, I'm Matthew Tobin. My main passion lies in public service and government. I currently serve on the Rockland County Youth Bureau Board of Directors. I am also a leader in the Youth and Government program and serve as student body president of Tappan Zee High School. I ultimately hope to study government and law, and then become a lawyer, maybe for the ACLU or the Justice Department. In my free time, I enjoy reading about history, writing poetry, spending time with my family, and playing with my dogs. I always try to be a worthwhile member of any group of which I am a part. A fun fact about me is that I play the bagpipes.

I coded the entirety of this website myself. I taught myself HTML and CSS using CompuScholar. I have added digital proof for awards and positions when possible. References and additional information are available upon request.

Quick Facts

Leadership

National/State

Secretary of State, 2021 - Present; Youth and Government, 2017 - Present

I was first elected to leadership in 2017 as youth lieutenant governor. I have been appointed to the cabinet by three governors, first as commissioner of transportation in 2020, and twice as secretary of state in 2021 and 2022. As secretary of state, I lead the cabinet, manage the pen pal program, and help to direct the state conference. I also lead my high school's club as co-president. Within my Youth and Government "district" (Orange, Rockland, and Westchester counties), I have organized and conducted 100+ person conferences and coordinated meetings with state legislators, state Supreme Court justices, and the NYS commissioner of transportation. I also planned and moderated two candidates' forums for the Board of Education election. Most recently, I was a high school mentor at the middle school state conference, a touching full-circle moment for me.

Matthew moderating the SOCSD Board of Education Candidates' Forum
Moderating the 2022 SOCSD
Board of Education Candidates' Forum

Key Accomplishments:

Through the Youth and Government program, I have been chosen for three different national programs: the Conference on National Affairs, the National Judicial Competition, and the National Youth Advocate program.

Conference on National Affairs, 2020 - Present; Proposal Sharing Group Leader, 2021 - Present

I have been chosen three times to be one of twenty-five NYS delegates to the ~500 person Conference on National Affairs (CONA), an extension of the Youth and Government program. I served as a group leader twice and my proposals for national policy change were within the ~10% that passed, twice.

National Judicial Competition, 2022 - Present

One of my biggest accomplishments in Youth and Government is starting New York's National Judicial Competition team. I had the honor of being chosen as one of nine NYS delegates for New York's inaugural team to the competition.

National Youth Advocate, 2021

As a youth advocate for the YMCA, I met with the senators, congress members, and their staff to advocate for issues important to the YMCA and me, including civics education and aid for afterschool programs. I attended trainings to learn more about the YMCA's legislative priorities and learned how to advocate to elected officials for policy solutions effectively.

Safe Routes, 2019 - Present; Club President, Dec. 2020 - Present

My interest in transportation led me to join the YMCA-NYS Safe Routes Ambassador Program in May 2019 (also known as the Active Transport Healthy Communities program). I also serve as president of the Safe Routes Club, focused on improving local pedestrian transportation. I have led multiple community events to evaluate local walking conditions and met with officials to recommend improvements, such as the Orangetown town supervisor, the highway superintendent, and the chief of police. In June 2020, I was the first of four student representatives chosen to serve on the South Orangetown Central School District's Reopening Task Force to plan the return to school post lockdown, with my area of responsibility being focused on student transportation.

Key Accomplishments:

Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick's Young Leaders Council, April 2021 - December 2022

I served on the State Senator's Young Leaders Council from 2021 until the end of his term. We met on a regular basis with the senator to discuss issues that are imporant to our community and the youth. We also met with other community leaders and elected officials to learn what work is being done for the community and give input.

Regional

Rockland County Youth Bureau Board of Directors, April 2022 - Present

I am one of two youth directors and one of fourteen directors overall to serve on the board. I am responsible for allocating $130,000+ in funding to 14 youth programs in Rockland, monitoring these programs, and making nominations for various positions. After advancing through a competitive interview process, I was nominated by Rockland County Executive Ed Day and confirmed by the Rockland County Legislature.

Orangetown Youth Court, Sept. 2020 - Present

As a member of the Orangetown Youth Court, I completed a 10 week training on the judicial system. I am now responsible for hearing the cases of juvenile offenders and deciding on a sentence of community service. I have served as the judge and public defender. As a member of the Steering Committee, I also interview and train new members. In 2023, I received the Denis Troy Leadership Award.

School Leadership

Watch my interview for my school's
Humanities Department

During my time in South Orangetown Central School District, I have served in a variety of school positions.

Club Leadership

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Awards and Honors

National

State

Debate

Matt Tobin holding 3 trophies from the English in Action Middle School Debate Championship

Honor Societies

AP Scholar with Distinction Award State Senate Certificate of Recognition Tappan Zee High School Certificate of Achievement in the Youth and Government Program Tappan Zee High School Certificate of Achievement in the National History Day Regional Board of Education Volunteer Recognition Certificate for Efforts to elevate, engage, and inspire the community 2022 Board of Education Volunteer Recognition Certificate for Efforts to elevate, engage, and inspire the community 2021 State Senate Certificate of Recognition Board of Education Certificate of Recognition for Dedication and Commitment to the SOCSD Family Engagement Center 2019 Board of Education Certificate of Achievement for Placing Second in the National History Day Regional 2019

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Press

Matthew with three awards from the 2022 Youth and Government Conference
After the 2022 Youth and Government
Conference

Notable Coverage

Click here to see a list of all press coverage

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Portfolio

Matthew's winning article in Our Town newspaper
My winning article in Our Town
newspaper


"HTML is the New English" TED Talk

As a writer, I am the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Tapress, the school newspaper since September, 2021, as well as a Staff Writer of Harmony World Magazine since December 2020. I enjoy writing poetry and research essays, which I recognize is nerdy.

Poems

News Articles

Research Papers

Presentations

All rights reserved through Creative Commons

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Hobbies

Playing at a nursing home after St. Patrick's
Day was "canceled" due to COVID in 2020

Bagpiping

I have been bagpiping since 2016. I play with the Pearl River Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipe Band.

Boy Scouts

I joined the Boy Scouts in 2016. Since then, I served as a Patrol Leader for two years, Troop Scribe for a year, and Senior Patrol Leader for a year. I have been a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster since 2020. In 2023, I earned my Eagle Scout award. My Eagle Scout project was installing navigational signs on the Rail Trail, which overlaps with my interest in safe routes.

Fencing

I started fencing in eighth grade and became captain my senior year. I initially played on Junior Varsity and as a substitute for the Varsity team. At the beginning of his sophomore year, I became a Varsity starter and have played there since. My team won 2nd place in the sectional competition in my freshman, sophomore, and senior year, and 3rd place my junior year. I was recognized with the Coach's Award in 2020. In 2023, I placed 2nd individually for Section One.

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© Matthew Tobin. All Rights Reserved.

Creative Commons licensing CC BY-NC-ND 4.0