Meet Matt Valerio, a Spring 2021 Lede New Orleans Fellow
Matt Valerio will be doing community reporting work in New Orleans this spring as part of the Lede New Orleans fellowship program.
By Mally Welch
Matt Valerio was scrolling through Instagram one day in 2020 when he stumbled across a new follower that would spark his interest in storytelling. The account for Laozi Ice Cream was full of photos of homemade ice cream and a familiar face: a fellow Delgado Community College student Valerio had befriended in creative writing class. Valerio was intrigued.
Valerio texted the friend, Sam Caruso, and asked if he could interview him and take a few photos while Caruso made his next batch of homemade ice cream in his kitchen. Caruso agreed. The interview turned into a written profile and photos highlighting Caruso and his upstart business, which Valerio published on his personal blog. He was hooked.
“I just had so much fun doing that,” said Valerio, who is now studying English with a journalism concentration at the University of New Orleans.
Valerio grew up in Metairie, the youngest of three in a military family and a lover of all things sport. (He’s a fan of “everything but bowling,” he explained.) Valerio, a Jesuit High School grad, spent his first year of college in New Jersey studying at Seton Hall University, but the pressure of keeping up with studies in an unfamiliar place without a network of friends and family was isolating. He chose to return to Louisiana in 2018 to finish his studies. He sees storytelling as a way to connect with others in a meaningful way, something he said he’s struggled with in the past.
Valerio credits his family and their encouragement with giving him the push he needed to step out of his comfort zone and apply for a Lede New Orleans fellowship. As a Fellow, Valerio hopes to enhance his writing skills and connect with others in his community.
What was your home like growing up?
My parents were both in the military. My dad ran the house kind of like boot camp. He was really regimented and emphasized discipline. I am the youngest and have two older sisters, so I’m the baby of the family.
What are your interests?
I think I’ve always enjoyed reading. I do like journalism. I got a camera a few years ago and just went out taking pictures of the city, but then one of my friends at Delgado Community College, he started running an ice cream business. I thought it was interesting, so I’m like, “Hey, can I use my camera to take some pictures and ask you some questions?”
What’s a personal challenge you face?
Growing up I had a lot of trouble relating to people and it still kind of carries over to now. It’s just tough talking sometimes, which is why I like interviewing different people and asking questions about them.
How are you facing that challenge?
By putting myself out there and doing stuff that sometimes I don’t want to do. Just being around people. I do want to be around people, but it’s just tough sometimes. I think the more I do, the more comfortable I will become.
Mally Welch is a Spring 2021 Lede New Orleans Fellow. Welch is a writer and a senior at the University of New Orleans.
