Next for our "Where Are They Now" series, as we continue to celebrate Black History Month, is a dual-sport student-athlete from football and track and field, Matthew Hamlett. He is a four-time All-SCIAC honoree on the track and field team, competing in the 4x400 meter relay team (three times) and the 4x100 relay team (once). Hamlett and those relay teams can also be found in the CLU record books and rank fourth and seventh in the 4x400 relay. On the football field, Hamlett played two seasons. He scored his lone touchdown during his sophomore year, a 29-yard run. Now, Hamlett is the Chief of Staff to Long Beach Vice Mayor Rex Richardson.
What years were you at Cal Lutheran and what made you want to come here?
I attended Cal Lu from 2009-2013. What attracted me to the school was its great location, small class sizes, and the ability to play multiple sports. In addition, my uncle Tracy Downs (Class of 88') played football at Cal Lutheran and had positive things to say about his experience.
While at Cal Lutheran, what was your experience like?
My college experience at Cal Lutheran was amazing. In addition to being a part of both the football and track teams, Cal Lutheran is where I developed a passion for government and public policy. I was able to excel academically after at times struggling in high school and of course made friends who will last a lifetime.
How was your experience with the team and other athletes?
Incredible. At Cal Lutheran I played football for two years and ran track for four years. As a member of the football team, being a part of a team that won back-to-back SCIAC Championships was an incredible opportunity that I continue to cherish to this day. As a member and team captain of the track and field team my senior year, I had the privilege of traveling to participate in the NCAA Division 3 National Championships and compete on a national stage. All in all, between the opportunity to compete, the lessons learned along the way, as well as the people that I met in the locker room and on the track, I wouldn't trade my experiences for the world.
What is your current job, and how did Cal Lutheran prepare you for that?
After graduation I was selected as a Jesse Unruh Assembly Fellow and completed a fellowship in the State Legislature where I continued to work for the next five years. In 2019, I decided it was time to come home to Long Beach and I now serve as Chief of Staff to Long Beach Vice Mayor Rex Richardson. As a public policy and political professional, much of my current job and career focuses on people, personalities, and finding common ground.
Being a part of two of the largest teams on campus meant that despite interacting with different people with different perspectives, it was critical to find ways to come together in order to be successful. Team-sport politics without question prepared me for my future in state and local politics.
How did being a student-athlete prepare you for your professional career?
As a student-athlete, one of the most important characteristics to exhibit is resilience. Being an athlete is a commitment. It can often be challenging and at times overwhelming to deal with a number of responsibilities, and at times it can feel like nothing is going your way. Despite this, you get up, you put in the work, and you stay strong for your teammates. This made transitioning into a team-oriented work environment easy. Finding ways to come together and achieve a goal under trying circumstances is what I was taught to do as a student athlete at Cal Lutheran.
What is your favorite part about the job?
My favorite part of the job is bringing people together and making a difference. It is often said that local government is "where the rubber meets the road" and where you're able to make the quickest tangible impact. As a member of the Vice Mayor's team, we have begun to transform the very neighborhood I grew up in by bringing in a new community center, banks, restaurants, and expansions to open space. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have supported the development of a network of food pantries across the city and hosted multiple food distribution programs that have fed thousands of families in the city of Long Beach. It's energizing to make a difference in my community.
What is a typical day at your job?
The best part of my job is there is no typical day! My job is to respond to community needs and to help implement the Vice Mayor's priorities for his district and the City as a whole. One day I can be working on an economic recovery strategy for the entire city and the next I can be making the connections necessary to fix a sidewalk around the corner from where I grew up. Every day offers a new opportunity to step up to a new challenge.
Did you know you always wanted to do this, or when did you know what you wanted to do?
When I first arrived at Cal Lutheran, I had no idea that politics and policy would be my long-term career. The light came on after I took a California politics class with Dr. Jose Marichal and traveled to Sacramento for the first time. After that, I spent the first semester of my senior year in Washington D.C. as a part of the Lutheran Colleges Washington Semester where I had an opportunity to intern at the Federal Reserve. After coming back to wrap up my time at Cal Lutheran, it was clear to me that public service was the path that I wanted to pursue.
What does it mean to you to be a Kingsmen?
For me, being a Kingsmen means a commitment to excellence, and an understanding that your success is tied to that of your team and community. One CLU family.
