Matthew earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from Knox College in 2005 and his Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School in December 2012. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2013, where he briefly practiced law. He returned to Iowa in 2014 and began working at the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. While there, he evaluated complaints to determine whether a full investigation was warranted, conducted investigations, and mediated complaints. He also was admitted to the Iowa Bar in 2015. In September 2018, Matthew began working as a Legal Consultant with the Iowa State University Child Welfare Research and Training Project. In his free time, Matthew enjoys watching movies with his wife and two cats.