Matt Fisher, FCRH ‘21, understands the importance of putting a smile on someone’s face. As executive co-director of Fordham Dance Marathon (FDM), this is something he makes his mission every day to complete, and something he always achieves, whether he’s making one of FDM’s six sponsored B+ heroes smile or making a member of his team smile with his electric personality. Fisher loves to make people take their mind off their troubles because a quick laugh can go a long way.

Fordham Dance Marathon is a 10-hour event that supports the fight against pediatric cancer, but Fisher and his team spend the entire year tirelessly fundraising with innovation for the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. The charity funds research to find cures for childhood cancer and advancements in treatment protocol, and also provides financial assistance to families of children with cancer.

Fisher said he remembers the first time he was introduced to FDM when he attended the dance marathon his freshman year.
“I ended up meeting one of the NYU Dance Marathon heroes named Joshua,” he said. “I hung out with him all night, and that was when I realized how much FDM would mean to me and how important it was to people on campus that were a part of it, especially because of all the work they were doing.”

He quickly gained his stripes and after one year in his position of hero chair he is now co-leading Fordham’s initiative to spread the B+ message that, “It’s not a grade. It’s an attitude,” alongside Collette Campbell, FCRH ’22.

Fisher’s chipper attitude and the devotion he puts into FDM is reflected in the work he produces and the team he manages. He is always putting in his best work, and in turn his chairs and directors give him and Campbell the same passion right back.

Fisher gives credit to his biggest motivators, the Fordham B+ Heroes and the whole team working together to make Fordham Dance Marathon a year-long fundraising effort.

“They are truly the most dedicated people I’ve ever seen,” he said. “From working hard not only in their own personal lives but in terms of FDM and fundraising, I’ve never seen a group of people who are more dedicated, who are more kindhearted, who are more loving, who are more energetic and funny. FDM truly just takes on its own form throughout the year and becomes something that is so amazing and so grand. So anybody on FDM is just top-notch in my book.”

As a biology major and bioethics minor, Fisher has a heavy workload, but he believes that his leadership experience on FDM has equipped him with the time management skills to stay focused and prioritize.

“Sometimes, you have to put academics before certain work with FDM, but then it’s a tradeoff, like you want to do work for FDM before academics,” he said. I always find that there’s a balance that I sometimes walk, the fine line between doing work and doing things for FDM.”
Fisher’s biggest takeaway of balancing his busy schedule is that he “wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Because of Fordham’s social culture and lack of Greek life, Fisher said you have to genuinely seek out these types of organizations on Fordham’s campus. “You get the most dedicated and the most passionate people, which is fantastic. There’s no second-guessing that,” he said.

During his time as a member of the team that works on FDM, Matt has also found his passion for improving the lives of other people as much as he can.

“I think through the work that FDM does and specifically the B+ Foundations’ work as well, it just really opens up a person’s eyes to how many things people are going through and the work that you can do,” he said. Whether it’s big or small, whatever scale it’s on, the amount of work that you can do to help someone’s life and truly make a difference is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned here. FDM has truly taught me that no matter what you do, there’s some kind of impact.”

To anyone looking to get involved with FDM, Fisher suggests following them on Instagram @fordhamdancemarathon and keep an eye out for their applications for next year, which will be coming out in the spring.

Fordham Dance Marathon will be taking place from 2 p.m. – 12 a.m on March 7th in Lombardi Field House, so make sure to come and see Matt Fisher do what he does best .