Celebrating Excellence: Vincent Mattei, 2024 Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Scholarship Winner
Congratulations, Vincent Mattei, on being a 2024 recipient of the Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Scholarship. Vincent is a 2024 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, Colorado. An academic powerhouse in high school, he plans to jump right into college and start fulfilling his dream to create new drugs and technology to help thousands or even millions of people.
Vince is on the left, and Josh is on the right.
Water Polo Helps Hone Life Skills Too
As a youngster, Vince joined the Colorado Pirates team when he was 11. Since then, he’s risen to become a senior captain for Denver Public Schools’ team. He also contributed to the growth of the high school league here in Colorado for the past three years after Covid took a toll on it. Plus, he’s been an academic all-American for about four years in a row.
Water polo helped him hone his social and emotional skills, too. Vince explains, “The sport taught me how to be adaptable and how important it is to communicate. I learned how to be aggressive and intense but not angry and control my emotions. How to test my abilities and analyze myself to look at what I need to work on. But I was also able to learn how to take these skills out of the pool. Through water polo, I’ve become a better leader in my community and a better friend.”
“Vince has always been a role model for younger athletes in our program. Whether it’s sitting on the team bench at tournaments to support younger players or helping coaches with equipment, he consistently looks for ways to serve the team.”
Lifting Up Those Around Him
Vincent’s story isn’t just about the accolades. It’s about the community he’s built along the way.
Maureen Davenport, his long-time coach, says, “Vince is one of the most welcoming and supportive individuals I have ever coached. His positivity and reliability are the anchors of his team, and he always seeks to lift others around him.”
Humble to the core, Vince says, “Although he’s not an official mentor,” he’s led by example to those younger than him. At practice, he leads team cheers to help instill excitement, “vigor, and spirit” for those around him so they play with their all.
He is also available to chat with the younger players about their goals both in and out of the water, sharing his knowledge so they can improve. Vince has also played on teams with less experienced players during tournaments, leading and then reflecting with them later on how to tailor themselves while they play.
Coach Maureen Davenport said, “Vince has always been a role model for younger athletes in our program. Whether it’s sitting on the team bench at tournaments to support younger players or helping coaches with equipment, he consistently looks for ways to serve the team.”
In other words, he’s the kind of teammate others can rely on, both in and out of the water.
You Define Water Polo
When asked if there was anything else the scholarship committee should know Vince said, “If there was ever one thing I learned while playing, it was that water polo does not define you. You define water polo. And so I always tried my best to be a good role model for the sport, whether advocating for someone to join, playing against another team, or showing up and committing to practice. Water polo is truly about teamwork, integrity, planning, and fun. The Pirates are a family to me, and I hope I was able to make that family and the sport as a whole a little bit better through my time here as a player.”
The Big Waves Foundation proudly awards the Vaughn Bigelow Jr. scholarship to Vince. He embodies the values of teamwork, integrity, and leadership. We can’t wait to see what makes waves in the years to come. After all, what would happen if we all approached life like Vince with dedication, kindness, and team spirit?
The Vaughn Bigelow Jr. Scholarship is more than just a financial boost; it's a tribute to a young life taken too soon and a reminder that even in the face of tragedy, we can create a beautiful and lasting legacy and a bright future.
Together, we're making waves, just like those in the pool, and leaving a legacy that will endure for generations to come.
To apply for the scholarship, click here. The deadline to apply is April 30, 2025.