Matthew J. Alarcon, a proud, prior-service U.S. Marine and a student at South Texas College of Law Houston, is the first generation of his family to be born in the United States.
“My grandfather’s lifetime dedication to The Coca-Cola Company in Colombia inspired my father, his siblings, and other family members to seek opportunities in America,” Alarcon said. “My father paved the way.”
Though Alarcon will be the first in his family to become a lawyer, he is continuing the family legacy of hard work instilled in him by his grandparents and parents.
He graduated from the University of Houston in fall 2019 with a degree in organizational leadership and supervision. The same year, Alarcon honorably completed his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. He had been stationed with a Houston-based infantry battalion and earned the designation of marine scout sniper as a professional instructed gunman.
At South Texas Law, Alarcon serves as president of the Veteran Law Students Association (VLSA), as vice president of the Real Estate & Construction Law Society, and as a founding member of the Personal Injury Law Society.
“Having a group focused on veterans enhances student success in law school,” he said. Alarcon noted that VLSA unites diverse organizations, creating events that bring groups together to promote healthy dialogue and understanding among students.
“VLSA cultivates a spirit of togetherness, and it uplifts veterans while simultaneously enriching the entire student body experience,” he said. “I see Veterans Day as a chance to reflect on the unity, camaraderie, and service that military service fosters, values that carry over into our legal community. For Veterans Day, VLSA is hosting an event with the Federalist Society, Democratic Law Students Association, Republican Law Society and American Civil Liberties Union’s student chapter at the law school.”
During his term as president of VLSA, Alarcon’s vision is to promote awareness of veterans’ contributions to the legal community through events and projects. “Strengthening the support network for veteran students will provide them a distinguished line of resources to draw upon. I believe VLSA helps pave the way for future leaders in our Houston community.”
While Alarcon is proud of a number of achievements while in law school, he is especially honored that he and VLSA inspired a group of donors to invest in a full set of U.S. military flags that will be permanently displayed in The Fred Parks Law Library at South Texas Law. The flag display will include the flags of the United States, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, plus the Texas flag.
Contributing were Sterling Dodd, the Willi family (Tracy ’92 and James ’95 Willi, parents of VLSA member Andrew Willi), additional STCL Houston alumni Jake Johnson ’23, Eric D’Olive ’11, Zeke Moya ’14, and Jeff Larson ’98, and VLSA members Mike Olenick, Ernesto Gamez, Julisa Rodriguez, Harrison Punches, Philip Scoles, and Matthew Alarcon.
Proposing and gaining permission to display the military flags on the law school campus was personally meaningful and important to Alarcon, and he sees the Law Library as the perfect place for the display. Fred Parks, a 1937 STCL Houston alumnus, served in WWII’s Army Air Corps JAG in Italy before becoming a prominent attorney in Houston.
After Alarcon graduates next December, he plans to integrate his real estate, construction, and business law expertise and make significant contributions to a distinguished firm. He has already worked in a mid-sized law firm and a boutique law firm, and he completed an internship with the Texas Attorney General’s Office in the commercial litigation team within the Consumer Protection Division. This fall, he is once again working in the Texas Attorney General’s office.
Alarcon has experienced some special moments as a veteran and a law student. For example, when former President H.W. Bush passed away, Alarcon was invited to escort the leader’s casket at his funeral. And soon, Alarcon and VLSA board member Julisa Rodriguez will be published in The Houston Lawyer magazine.
He has loved his experience at South Texas Law. “I chose to attend law school because I want to serve my community, and I see no better way to do so than to be an attorney,” he said. “I picked South Texas College of Law Houston because of its prominence and strong connections to the city, reflecting a deep commitment to the community and its legal landscape. While military orders have sometimes taken me away from Houston in the past, it has always remained my true home.”
In reflecting on Veterans Day, Alarcon highlighted a few “giants of the South Texas Law community.”
“Our former President and Dean Michael Barry and alumnus Benny Agosto, founding contributor to STCL Houston’s Agosto Justice Center for Leadership and Empowerment, both come from military families and reflect a high regard for service,” Alarcon said. “T. Gerald Treece, a trailblazer in legal education and advocacy training, was a Vietnam veteran, and generous benefactor Fred Parks served in WWII. Together, these individuals embody the values of service and dedication that strengthen our community.”
He added, “Veterans make a multifaceted impact on law schools and legal offices. Their military experience instills a strong foundation of discipline, integrity, and a sense of duty that resonates deeply within the legal profession — leading to a positive impact on their classmates and their future colleagues. I am proud to have had the honor to serve our nation.”
Original source can be found here.