For program alumni Matthew and Marian Baroncelli, the Shelton Challenge is more than just a leadership experience. It is a long-standing part of their family.
Both Matthew and Marian attended the Shelton Challenge for the first time as high school students; Marian attended in 2012 at partner site Wesleyan College and Matthew attended first in 2009. They recalled how their first year attending the Shelton Challenge was unlike any
experience they had before.
“At that age, you are in school and sports basically, and while both are important, this was the first time I learned how to channel my natural desire to lead and grow,” Marian said. “It gave me tangible tools to use in all aspects of my life for years to come.”
“I have never seen an organization bring a group of strangers closer together in such a short amount of time and have them bond and accomplish challenges the way teams do at the Shelton Challenge,” Matthew said.
After attending the Shelton Challenge as students, both Marian and Matthew returned as volunteer staff in various positions including as Peer Leaders, Coach/Mentor/Trainers, and Instructors.
“I attended the Shelton Challenge because my grandfather was on the board of directors at Wesleyan with General Shelton. After he heard about the camp, he knew I would be interested. He was right! I stayed involved because of how excellent the Challenge is,” Marian said. “It truly does challenge you and helps you grow while having a blast and meeting new people. There is nothing like it for that age group, and it was exactly what I was craving at that time in my life.”
For Matthew, his decision to return as a volunteer for multiple years stemmed from his family’s
passion for the program.
“My brother, Andrew, was among some of the first classes in the Shelton Challenge back in 2004, and after him and my grandfather encouraged me to go I have been hooked ever since,” Matthew said. “Even if I didn’t know it at the time, it was one of the first foundational steps that
would lead me into a career and life of service and leadership roles. Ultimately, it was the catalyst at the right age for many successes that were to come.”
Matthew and Marian met in 2017 as college students during staff training while volunteering at the Shelton Challenge. Marian had already met Matthew’s brother, Andrew, at a previous Challenge and had worked alongside Matthew’s grandfather Elliott Tepper – who has served as
an instructor for many years in the program’s history – as a Shelton Challenge volunteer.
‘We always joke how crazy it is that I had met so many members of his family (his brothers, his grandparents, his mother) before I even knew he existed,” Marian said. “Now, I could not imagine joining any other family. Having the Shelton Challenge be the catalyst for our meeting is so incredibly special.”
“While I loved every single one of my experiences at Shelton, as each one had its challenges due to the different perspective from the role you would take on, I have to say it was during the icebreaker called ‘first-impressions’ between the instructors where I met Marian for the first time,” Matthew said. “From that moment on, we have just clicked, and she left a heck of an impression upon me.”
Their leadership journeys have extended beyond the Shelton Challenge as Matthew and Marian have excelled in their respective professional endeavors.
Marian graduated from New York University with her Master’s degree and received her license as a Speech Language Pathologist. This past year, she and Matthew were long distance while she completed her fellowship at UW Health in Madison, WI. While Marian last attended the
Shelton Challenge in 2019, she still uses some of the key leadership principles learned during the Shelton Challenge in her career today, including honesty, ethics, integrity, compassion, and collaboration.
“The skills I learned in Shelton about being both a leader and a follower are essential when navigating team dynamics daily,” Marian said.
Matthew graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in East-Asian Languages and Cultures and acquired Mandarin as a second language. He became a Pat Tillman Scholar in 2019 and has remained active in the veteran community. Currently, he works for the Department of Defense as an analyst and a Ph.D. candidate for Public Policy in Chinese Affairs. He still carries valuable lessons learned from the Shelton Challenge with him today.
“I think during the low-ropes course, you may not have the strongest team, but you cannot muscle your way out of every situation. Utilizing your team members by putting trust in their abilities was such a rewarding experience when we accomplished difficult challenges together,” Matthew said. “Even when doubt existed in myself, or I had misjudged someone’s ability, when I proved myself wrong and they proved me wrong, I would spend little time doubting myself or presumptively judging other’s capabilities after my first Shelton Challenge. I have carried that life-lesson with me ever since, and it became apparent many times in the Marine Corps working with foreign militaries.“
They now reside outside of Washington D.C. in Virginia, both working and enjoying being newlyweds after their October 2023 wedding ceremony.
For future generations of Shelton Challenge participants and program volunteers, Marian and Matthew offer their advice.
“Be willing to get out of your comfort zone, it doesn’t matter what team you get whether you think you’re the best or the underdogs. A true leader overcomes what they are presented with. (And in my opinion, it’s much more fun to be victorious as the underdogs),” Matthew said. “Lastly, spending a week during the summer, which may seem like a waste of time at a young age, will be one of the greatest investments of your life.”
“Enjoy every second, and embrace every challenge,” Marian said.