Alumni Spotlight: Matt Rienzo

Matt Rienzo '09/BS '12/MS swam four years for the Pirates, primarily in distance freestyle and butterfly events. After completing his undergrad in biology, Rienzo topped off his time in South Orange with a Master of Science degree in Microbiology.

Rienzo, a four-time member of the BIG EAST Academic All-Star team, now works as a Senior Scientist at Unilever. There, Rienzo works to develop cleansing products and hand sanitizers. Now, more than ever, Rienzo's work is of utmost importance.

"We are considered essential because we're making hygiene products, so I've been going into work since the pandemic started. We kind of pivoted as a company to start making hand sanitizing products and we have big involvement in that now," Rienzo said. "I feel like the work we do day in and day out is actually helping so I'm really happy about that."

Just as he was able to balance his work in the classroom and in the pool at Seton Hall, Rienzo still utilizes the lessons he learned in time management as a student-athlete to his benefit.

"I try to work out every day even if I have a million things to do. I have to carve out that time to get my workout in. Swimming has really helped me focus on what really matters for mental and physical health in my life."

Married in September 2019, Rienzo and his wife, Kathy, live in Connecticut with their dog, Grady. Still only an hour and a half drive from campus, Rienzo does his best to return to his Alma Mater and reconnect with fellow swimming alums. Despite the distance between them, Rienzo still shares a close-knit bond with his former teammates.

"Most of my wedding party was people that I met in either high school or college swimming," Rienzo said. "In swimming, the people that you meet, you spend a lot of time with and they become your best friends for life. These are people that we met in 2005 and we're still very good friends in 2020. Cherish the relationships you make when you're in college."

Q: Favorite memory at Seton Hall?

"I think my favorite memory was when we beat Rutgers in their own pool for the first time in school history. It was my sophomore year it's something that we still talk about today. The whole bus ride home was a big celebration for 45 minutes. Everyone was so excited," Rienzo said.

Q: Favorite place to compete?
"I think the fastest pool I would say that I swam in was George Mason. We used to go there for our midpoint of the season meet. I always did my best times there, so it was by far my favorite pool during my four years." Rienzo said. "I don't know if it's because it's a mid-season, weekend-long meet and you rest for it or it's the physics of the pool. Either way it was the one of the fastest pools I've ever been in."

Q: Ever step on the seal?
"No, actually still have not. Even after I graduated and was back for grad school, I still didn't step on it." Rienzo said. "I don't do it now and I don't think I'll ever do it.'"

Q: Any advice for student-athletes?
"When you're in the thick of it, you're waking up at 5:30 in the morning and going to class right after. You're going to practice in the afternoon and going to class at night. It is a huge amount of work and you really have to learn how to how to manage your time as a student-athlete," Rienzo said. "Now that I'm in my 30s and have a full-time job, I'm more than thankful for what I learned during my time because even though sometimes it was kind of a pain, it's totally worth it in your future."

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