Who is Gates Matthew Stoner?

Welcome to my homepage.

I was born on a warm April morning in 1975 at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.  Phoenix hit 100 degrees for the first time in 1975 on that day, a point that my wonderful parents Gail and Mike don't let me forget. I'm the oldest in the family and I have a younger sister, Gwen. We also have a wonderful dog, Pepper II. I have lived in Arizona for all of my life, except for when I went to college in California at Santa Clara University. I don’t mind the “dry” heat and its great weather to play golf and for being outdoors.  I do enjoy travelling to northern Arizona and spending time in nature at my parent’s cabin.  There are few experiences better than an afternoon thunderstorm from the view of the porch while sipping some hot apple cider and reading a book.  The smell of fresh rain and the pine trees is so wonderful. The cabin is located on Mount Union outside of Prescott and is comparably rustic, no internet access, etc. and you have to drive a 14 mile forest service dirt road to get there (we don't get many visitors). Yes, there is electricity and running water. Until recently, we had no phone service and only one television station which came in really poorly, but through the wonders of modern technology we now have cellular service and a satellite dish.
 

I graduated from a Jesuit high school, Brophy College Preparatory, in 1994 and then headed to Northern California to enjoy four wonderful years at a Jesuit university. As a result of eight years of Jesuit education, I’m committed to issues of social justice and helping to make my community a better place for all. I also developed a strong work ethic and appreciation for the education of the whole person (mind, body and soul) as a result of my schooling. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering and lend my services to various organizations.

In my time away from Arizona, I graduated from the Leavey School of Business in just three years with a degree in management. I also pursued a BA in communication, which I finished in the fourth year. I figured might as well take full advantage of the opportunities available at Santa Clara. My parents didn’t mind the fact that I got two degrees for the price of one. While at Santa Clara I was very active in campus activities as an contributing writer, designer, and eventually section editor of the student newspaper, resident assistant (RA), peer career advisor, various campus ministry retreats and activities, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and more. From all these experiences I developed a lot of leadership and communication skills. In my last year, I received the Communication Department Prize, the highest award bestowed upon a graduating major, for my outstanding contributions to the department and its mission of the education of the whole person.

Upon the urging of my mentors at Santa Clara, I started graduate school at the University of Arizona the following fall. I was accepted into the MA program in the department of Communication and awarded a fellowship. For three years, I worked on grant research projects for the Communication Research Lab (CRL), where I coordinated project management on several grant  projects and programmed online surveys, databases, and project tracking tools for research needs. As a project coordinator, I conducted laboratory training, supervised laboratory personnel, assisted with writing grant proposals, and developed web tools to streamline the research process. I also instructed undergraduate courses in the department on organizational communication, communication & technology, research methods, and interpersonal communication.

Currently, I'm at the start of a new chapter in my life. I'm looking to finally enter the corporate world! or as my father says "getting a real job." This new chapter I'm sure will be full of great experiences and adventures. Already, I have started taking up golf and so far I've improved from being really bad to not so good. Let's just say that complete strangers still come up to me on the driving range to "let me know what I'm doing wrong." So far, this new chapter is going well and I'm really pleased with my overall health and happiness.

The best is always yet to come!

© 2001 Gates Matthew Stoner. Email: gates_matthew_stoner@hotmail.com