Ambler Program with all Ambler Scholar-Athletes
HAVERFORD – Matt Holmes was honored Thursday evening with the William W. Ambler '45 Award, presented by the Haverford College Department of Athletics to the senior student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average.
Ambler honorees must have participated and started in at least one sport throughout their college career, and have demonstrated commitment, sportsmanship and leadership. Holmes is a member of the Haverford College men's fencing team.
Matt Holmes '15
Major: Biology
Coach: Chris Spencer
Advisor: Rachel Hoang
Faculty Liaison: Maud McInerney
When Matthew Holmes enrolled at Haverford College, one piece of advice he recalled hearing from his parents was that half of what you learn in college is in the classroom while the other half comes from making friends, personal interactions, and exploring the world around you. Little did he know that one of his first adventures on the College's campus would come as a member of the Haverford College fencing team.
Asked what drew him to Haverford, Holmes explained that "I loved the collaborative environment, sense of community, and proximity to a city. It's ironic that through fencing I learned the value of competition at a Quaker-rooted school that I specifically selected for having such a non-competitive vibe."
In his own words, taking a "shot in the dark" by approaching head coach Chris Spencer about the possibility of joining a varsity athletic program, Holmes fully acknowledges that his decision forever enhanced his experience at Haverford College.
"The fencing team has a tradition of accepting walk-ons, so fencing was a new adventure for me. Coach Spencer has a knack for seeing potential in walk-ons and he had confidence in my potential when I had no idea that I could see through and enjoy a college career as a varsity athlete," said Holmes. "I've met so many fun, interesting people at Haverford and not only had a great time, but also really grew as a person."
"Matt was a natural for fencing. He was lucky to find the sport through the PE class and we were lucky to have him. He was a great athlete and didn't really know it. However, Matt was so obviously designed for this sport," said Spencer. "He had some good wins for us on the strips, but more importantly he was a leader off the strips. His personality and wit are what makes my job not a job."
Looking back on that "shot in the dark," Holmes now cannot picture his life at Haverford without the fencing team. "I haven't experienced Haverford College without the fencing team and can't imagine one without the other. These two parts of my life constantly feed off of each other."
Topping his list of memories with his teammates will always be the winter training camps. The winter camp is a one week period in which all the fencers live together, going through their hardest workouts of the season in preparation for one of the toughest annual competitions on the schedule, the Penn State Invitational. "The level of commitment and dedication I see every year is astounding. The camaraderie of our team is embodied in that week and is by far the aspect of the team that motivates me to come to the GIAC every day."
That hard work came to fruition during Holmes' freshman season when his team captured the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing Association (MACFA) Championship. The dedication and perseverance learned in those winter training sessions have also allowed Holmes to transition into a foil fencer. After spending his first three seasons on the epee squad, Holmes was now thrust into becoming a senior leader on top of learning the intricacies of foil fencing. The work ethic that Holmes developed made the transition a successful one. "I think the move has been a big success for me. I've probably improved more at foil in this year than I did at epee over my first three."
Outside of the Andy Kates Fencing Salle, Holmes has also spent time as a teacher's assistant and tutor. With an interest for academia still burning bright, Holmes is planning on attending graduate school next year to earn his Ph.D. in molecular biology. With his academic and athletic success, the opportunities appear endless as Holmes currently has offers from Harvard and Berkeley.
"Matt is extraordinarily bright but more than that, he is intellectually so curious and undaunted when it comes to tackling big questions and tough projects," explained advisor Rachel Hoang. "Work on those kinds of projects can be challenging but Matt balances it all with such a well-grounded disposition and a wonderful sense of humor that he rides through the tough parts of a project with all the necessary optimism and tenacity to make it a success. It's been an absolute joy working with him this year."
"I've been interested in academia for a while but there are a lot of exciting opportunities in biology and four years ago, I never would have guessed what I'd be doing today – fencing is a great example of that," concluded Holmes.
About the Ambler Award: Ambler epitomized the scholar-athlete. He graduated from Haverford in 1949 with honors in mathematics and was a starting tackle on the last undefeated football team in 1942. Despite his lack of bulk, a teammate once said of him, "When Bill hit you, you stayed hit." Originally in the Class of 1945, Bill left Haverford to perform alternative service as a conscientious objector in World War II.
After graduation, Ambler taught math at Oakwood School and was an admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania when Director of Admission Archibald MacIntosh '21 asked him to return to Haverford as his assistant in 1956. Ambler was named Associate Director of Admission in 1960, then Director upon "Mac's" retirement in 1965. He himself retired in 1987, was honored by Haverford with an Honorary Degree in 1991, and died in 1995 soon after his 50th class reunion. No one who knew him will ever forget Bill's piercing blue eyes, his spiritual depth, his interest in everyone he interviewed, and his love of Haverford.