Relationships, Preparation, and Purpose: Matthew Cahill’s Founders Day Message
Relationships, Preparation, and Purpose: Matthew Cahill’s Founders Day Message
It was a full-circle moment when Matthew Cahill, J.D., ‘09 returned to speak “’neath the elms” on Founders Day. The same campus where he once served as student body president and a Reagan Fellow. Now, as Eureka College celebrates its 171st birthday, coincidentally Cahill’s own birthday, he reflected on why the institution remains deeply meaningful to him and offered practical advice to today’s students.
Below is a condensed version of Cahill’s speech during the ceremony.
A Lifelong Connection
Cahill’s connection to Eureka began long before he enrolled. From childhood swimming lessons in the Reagan Center to family ties spanning three generations, Eureka was woven into his story. Still, he once questioned whether the small college could help him achieve big ambitions.
That changed after meeting the late Paul Lister, whose mentorship and belief in Eureka’s pillars of learning, service, and leadership helped shape Cahill’s path.
“Paul guided students to see the worth in themselves,” Cahill said, noting the profound influence Lister had on countless young people.
The Value of a Liberal Arts Education
Cahill emphasized that liberal arts education is not simply about memorizing facts — it’s about learning how to think.
Through challenging coursework, group projects, athletics, and leadership roles, students develop critical and rational thinking, pattern recognition and problem-solving, collaboration and accountability and empathy through diverse perspectives
“These experiences build the intuition and discipline that will give you a leg up in life,” he said.
He also encouraged students to fully embrace opportunities unique to college such as travel, service, extracurricular involvement, and meaningful relationships.
Theme One: Relationships Matter, Find Your Champion
Cahill’s first major message was clear: success is driven by both knowledge and relationships.
As a student interested in transportation but lacking industry contacts, Cahill shared his goals widely. That openness led alumna Sandy Bushue to help him secure a pivotal internship, a moment that launched his career. From there, each professional move was supported by a network he intentionally built long before he needed it.
His practical advice:
- Share your goals openly
- Use LinkedIn strategically
- Join professional organizations
- Don’t underestimate the cold email
- Seek mentors and become one
“Find your champion,” he urged.
Theme Two: Luck = Preparation Meets Opportunity
Cahill’s second theme centered on readiness. Recognizing the need for deeper expertise, he pursued a dual law and MBA degree at Northwestern University.
What seemed like luck, an interviewer asking if he was interested in railroad law became a career breakthrough because he was prepared when the opportunity appeared.
Today, Cahill serves as lead attorney for the Federal Transit Administration, helping oversee more than $21 billion annually in transit investments that support over 4,000 public transportation systems nationwide.
A Final Charge to Students
Cahill closed by reinforcing the competencies Eureka helped him develop:
- Find and cultivate champions
- Put in the hard work to be ready for opportunity
- Build both breadth and depth in your skills
- Secure internships early
- Lead with faith, empathy, and service
He ended with gratitude to Eureka College for “171 years of making the world a better place by equipping students for a lifetime of success.”
We cannot thank Mr. Cahill enough for his thoughts, reflection and time he brought back to Eureka during our Founders Day Ceremony.
