May 27, 2021
Matthew Lynch ’21 completes the Lynch family legacy at Providence College — at least for now
By Ealish Brawley ’14
The 2021 commencement exercises saw the last in a long legacy of Lynches graduate from Providence College — at least for now. Matthew Lynch ’21, a marketing major from Westerly, R.I., joined many of his family members as a proud Friar alumus.
Not only are Matthew’s parents, Gina Gencarella Lynch ’81 and Michael Lynch ’83, graduates of the College, but so are four of his five siblings: Andrew Lynch ’10 and his fiancée, Michaela Mahoney ’11, Danica Lynch ’13, Marissa Lynch ’15, ’17G, and Philip J. Lynch ’17 and his fiancée, Victoria “Tori” Dean ’17. (Sister Alexandra opted to attend Duke).
Before them came Matthew’s paternal grandfather, William J. Lynch, Jr. ’57, great uncles, Dennis Lynch ’54 and John Lynch ’61, and uncle, William Lynch III ’82, as well as his maternal grandfather, Francis Gencarella, O.D. ’55, aunts — Julie A. Vilandre ’83 and her husband, Charles Vilandre ’83, and Ann M. Gencarella ’86 — and uncle, Joseph P. Gencarella ’85.
Providence College is an important place to the Lynch and Gencarella families, yet Matthew didn’t always plan to attend.
“Originally, I didn’t want to go here. I had been going to the same schools as my siblings since pre-school, and all the teachers already knew my name by the time I got there,” Matthew said. He had been on campus many times visiting his siblings and during his father’s term as president of the National Alumni Association Council.
Matthew’s perspective changed when, at his parents’ insistence, he toured the College.
“The day I toured PC I was already in a bad mood. I was going to be late for the first home game of my senior year of football. I had already seen the College as a brother dropping something off at a dorm,” Matthew said. “But then I saw PC from a student’s perspective. I saw that I wouldn’t be a little brother, but that I could keep sharing those deep roots with my siblings my whole life.”
Matthew was struck by how students interacted with each other, waved, and shouted greetings. People weren’t walking around with their heads down, checking their phones, but were enjoying each other’s presence.
After enrolling at PC, Matthew was elected to the Friars Club and ended up leading many such tours himself. He was motivated to apply by his family’s legacy in the club and the enduring connections and friendships his parents and sibling made as members.
In addition to feeling welcomed by the community feeling on campus, Matthew saw great value in PC’s commitment to academic excellence and how that forms its students.
“I became a better learner and thinker overall. It’s interesting because I got to see how the progression worked with my siblings. I saw how they grew during their years at PC — how they could think and talk,” he said.
Matthew majored in marketing, studied abroad in London during his junior year, and continues to work with 9th Gear Technologies, a technology start-up, as a product and sales intern.
Although he shared many experiences in common with his siblings, one aspect of his years at PC that is uniquely his own is the COVID-19 pandemic. During the spring of his junior year, students returned to their homes and classes were shifted online. His return to campus for his senior year saw many changes — face masks, physical distancing, and socializing within small pods.
“I remember picking up my class ring outside of Slavin all by myself and texting a picture of it to my family,” Matthew said.
His siblings, who had been able to enjoy their respective Senior Ring Weekend celebrations, offered their congratulations and sympathized over what he was missing.
Through the various challenges created by the pandemic, Matthew’s class showed great resilience.
“We were able to get through it. We found ways to still enjoy ourselves being college students while being respectful of everything going on in the world. In pulling together something like a senior week, we tried to get small groups of roommates and friends to plan activities together. It reminded us of how important these friendships are because we really had to plan everything out,” he said.
When asked whether he hoped his future nieces, nephews, and children would choose Providence College, Matthew joked “that’s a way’s out,” but said he would be happy to see the legacy continue.
“From what I’ve seen, even back to when my parents and grandparents went here, the kind of people PC produces are always the same,” Matthew said. “They share the same values, and the crux of everything stays the same. It’s an ever-changing world, and the deep roots that PC gives us are important to our foundation.”
