From The Island School to The Voice: Matthew Chiu on Perseverance and Finding His Path
By Denzi Wroy, Jr.

From navigating unfamiliar waters in Eleuthera to performing on national television, Island
School alumnus Matthew Chiu reflects on the experiences that taught him to embrace
challenges and pursue unexpected opportunities.

When Kelly Clarkson turned her chair in the final moments of Matthew Chiu’s Blind Audition on NBC’s The Voice, it marked an exciting milestone in a musical journey years in the making. For Matthew, an Island School alumnus who attended Summer Term in 2016 and later returned as a mentor, the moment was a reminder of the importance of perseverance—a lesson he first encountered a decade earlier in Eleuthera.

Matthew was no stranger to performing, having spent years performing with groups like the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Tufts University’s Beelzebubs, and Hyannis Sound. However, his audition marked a new challenge, because this would be his first performance as a solo artist accompanied by a live band rather than the a cappella groups he was used to. As the audition went on without a chair turn, he began to believe his opportunity had passed. Then, in the final moments, Kelly Clarkson turned around.

“I actually don’t even remember seeing her,” Matthew recalled. “I just remember watching the chair turn.”

Stepping onto a national stage alone was unfamiliar territory, but navigating the unfamiliar is something Matthew learned to embrace during his time at The Island School.

Finding Confidence In the Unfamiliar

When Matthew arrived in Eleuthera in 2016, the transition from life in New York City to The Island School’s rigorous outdoor environment was anything but easy. Unaccustomed to camping, early-morning snorkeling, and the physical demands of the program, he vividly remembers entering the waters at 6 a.m. on his first morning and wondering what the following weeks would be like.

Learning to scuba dive presented another obstacle. After struggling with a required mask skill, Matthew worried he might not obtain his certification. Rather than giving up, he woke up early to practice with an instructor until he could complete it.

Moments like these became defining parts of his growth. “I’m naturally a very introverted person, and I still am,” he said. “But I think I’m an introverted extrovert because of The Island School.” From dancing in junkanoo with his classmates to building friendships, he began to embrace experiences he would have avoided. “Even though I was scared from the first day, I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said.

Returning with a New Perspective

Before leaving The Island School in 2016, Matthew knew he wanted to return as a teacher one day. Inspired by the impact his own educators had made on him, he hoped to offer future students the same encouragement and support. In the summer of 2024, he did just that.

Experiencing the program from the other side gave him a new outlook. “You know nothing when you’re a student. You just go along with the plan,” he said. “As a mentor, you’re making all those decisions.” He found himself guiding students through many of the same challenges he had faced, and working closely with them sparked a passion for supporting others that influenced his decision to pursue a career in nursing.

He also found that music could be a powerful tool for connection. During Down Island Trips, Matthew and a fellow educator, Emma, invited students to add their favorite songs to a shared playlist and would play them during their rides.

For students who were away from their phones and usual routines, a familiar song could make an unfamiliar place feel a little more like home. “Music became a tool to bond everyone,” Matthew said. “Especially when the environment was new and scary to a lot of people.”

Carrying the Lesson Forward

For Matthew, one lesson from The Island School that has stuck with him throughout his life has been perseverance. “You don’t think you can do these things,” he said. “But then you learn to adapt, you learn to persevere, and you learn to use your resources, whether that’s what the school provides or the people around you.”

That mindset has followed him to The Voice, where he once again found himself in the role of a student under the mentorship of Kelly Clarkson. “Teaching people helps you understand what someone needs before they even say it,” Matthew said. His experience as an educator helped him approach Clarkson’s guidance with an appreciation for the intentions behind it.

In his free time outside of the show, Matthew is applying to accelerated nursing programs, completing additional coursework, and training for the New York City Marathon. Before auditioning for The Voice, he had considered the program to be his final chance to explore performing before focusing on nursing. Now, he’s open to seeing where music might lead him.

When asked what advice he would give current Island School students who are still figuring out their futures, Matthew’s answer came back to passion. Looking at the path that led him from Eleuthera to The Voice, he sees one common thread: “Everything I’ve done that led me to this point has always been through passion,” he said.

He wants students to know that not having a plan is okay. “You might not know what you want to do, and that’s totally fine,” Matthew said. Instead of forcing an answer, he encourages them to let their interest lead. “You need to let life take you. Whatever moves you, you do it, because it’s led me to where I am today.”

A decade after his first summer at The Island School, Matthew continues to draw on what he learned here, embracing discomfort and persevering through uncertainty. If his journey has taught him anything, it’s that an unexpected path can be just as meaningful as the one originally planned.