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MCC Daily Tribune

MCC Proud: Meet Student Matthew Ra

Taekwondo emerged in Korea in the 1940s and 1950s as a combination of martial arts (taekkyon) dating back to the Shilla Dynasty, around 50 BC, and karate. The word Taekwondo, broken up into three parts, means "tae"—foot, leg, or to step on; "kwon"—fist, or fight; and "do"—way or discipline. Matthew Ra, a third-semester business administration student, puts an exclamation point on the “do” part of the word.

Matthew Ra was born in Los Angeles in 2005 and moved to Rochester with his parents and siblings the following year. Matthew’s father came to the United States from Korea when he was young but later returned to his home country to study martial arts in college, where he met Matthew’s mom. His father shared his passion for martial arts with Matthew and began teaching him when he was two. More than 17 years later, Matthew has grown from a little boy learning from his dad to a champion in the sport.

Matthew isn’t on this journey of success alone. He shares it with his sister Hailey, 23, as they compete in the Freestyle pair category. The crazy part? She lives in Queens! So how do they train together you may ask?

“Normally on FaceTime calls or by sending videos to each other, but generally before tournaments, we will meet a day early before competing and match our routine before we compete on the mat,” said Matthew. “If we can, I will fly down, or Hailey will fly up here so we can practice, but we typically can only train at the tournament site a day or two before.”

Being on a team with your sibling may be difficult for some, but Matthew says it is an advantage. 

“Competing with Hailey is a very fun and intimate experience; since we're family, we are very comfortable with one another, and I think that helps us be very open with communication and ultimately brings us closer”, said Matthew. “There are definitely times where we don't see eye to eye, but that helps us understand each other and how we feel, and we find a way to work through it to put on our best performance.”

While he is dedicated to his Taekwondo training, Matthew is also dedicated to his studies. He is set to graduate from MCC in December and then plans to continue his education in business administration as part of the 2+2 program at a SUNY or CUNY school. He said MCC made it possible for him to earn a degree and continue competing in Taekwondo.

“I chose MCC because I needed to stay local to help with my family business, but I still wanted to continue my education after high school, and it is a more affordable alternative than all the other schools I got accepted into. I like how MCC is structured to help students succeed, and everything is made simple and accessible for students.”

Even with the help and guidance he receives by attending MCC, it can still be challenging.

“Balancing school and training, along with work, is tough, but the most important thing I've learned when trying to manage everything is being disciplined with time management. You may want to practice one day, but you're in the zone working on an assignment. Other nights, you just feel too exhausted from work and don't want to do anything, but it's being able to prioritize deadlines and put your best effort into what you're doing at the time.”

Although he says it’s tough, Matthew seems to champion time management and Taekwondo. Since he started competing, he has participated in hundreds of tournaments and won dozens of them. His next competition is a state tournament on March 30 in Queens, NY, and the regional tournament on May 16 - 18 in Richmond, Virginia. If all goes well, Hailey and Matthew will compete in the USA Taekwondo Nationals Championships in Ontario, California, in July.

While it may seem impossible to accomplish what Matthew has, he says it is possible and has some advice for young student-athletes.

“Prioritize consistency. Give yourself time to practice, do homework, and spend time with your family and friends. Keep a schedule that you can generally stick to year-round, and build good habits that you're always trying to stick to. I suggest starting with practice three to four times a week and save your nights off for other work and social activities. Stick to this as much as you can, and in the long run, it's more sustainable and a healthy lifestyle!”

Photo Captions:

  • Matthew and Dr. Gantt: Dr. Calvin Gantt (left) wearing a brown suit jacket with a flower on his lapel, and light button down shirt , is shown standing next to Matthew (right) at the Lunar New Year Celebration.  Dr. Gantt's arm is resting over Matthew's shoulder.  Matthew is dressed in a traditional Taekwondo uniform called a dobok. Both are smiling warmly into the camera.
  • Young Matthew:  Matthew pictured as a young boy running in the grass dressed in a dobok. There are other children in doboks running behind him.
  • Matthew and Hailey: Matthew (left) is pictured at a previous competition jumping in the air above a mat doing a Taekwondo kick. His sister, Hailey (right) is performing the same move next to him. They are both wearing traditional Taekwondo uniforms.

Attached Files:
Matthew and Dr. Gantt.jpg
Young Matthew.jpg
Matthew and Hailey.jpg

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
03/19/2025