Matthew Chambers was born in Omaha on Oct. 29, 1978. From the time he was a toddler, he loved being outside, and he remained fascinated with the natural world throughout his life.
Chambers attended Holy Cross and Washington Elementary schools, and Lewis and Clark Jr. High. He enjoyed scouting and earned the rank of Eagle when he was 15, in addition to his study of Tae Kwon Do under Master Kim. He graduated from Central High School in May 1997. Chambers attended the University of Nebraska and also took horticulture classes at MCC. He graduated from Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture.
After three years of working in Oregon, Chambers returned to Nebraska. He was working for a large nursery in Omaha when he was diagnosed with a heart virus in March 2009. Chambers was 30 years old when he passed away in April 2009.
In 2015, the Matthew T. Chambers Horticulture Scholarship was established to provide assistance to students in the Horticulture, Land Systems and Management program. It supports tuition, fees, books and tools.
Scholarship Criteria:
- Financial need may be considered but is not required
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
Scholarships are usually offered during the spring and fall quarters. Scholarship availability varies depending on donor giving.