Matt’s Story

Challenging & Changing Perceptions on Domestic Abuse, Violence, Educational Disadvantage, Homelessness, & Mental Health

Hi, I’m Matt Vapor.

I’m a PhD Candidate, a Master of Information Management, and a University Lecturer. I was also a high school dropout who slept rough at 16.

If you look at my CV today, you see the academic success. You see the academic, a qualified Librarian, the educator, and the consultant. But to truly understand the work I do at Beneath the Surface, you need to look beyond these titles.

I didn't learn about homelessness, domestic abuse, or youth violence from text. I learned them by experiencing them.

The Reality Behind the Resume

I grew up in an environment defined by domestic abuse and neglect. By the time I was in school, I had learned that violence was a language, regretfully one I became fluent in to survive. I was assigned labels such as “monster”, “criminal”, “evil”, the eptiome of the "bad kid". I was the kid teachers wanted to expel. Eventually, at the end of Year 10, I was pushed out of the education system entirely.

At 16, I left home to escape abuse and violence, and found myself sleeping rough.

My life was reduced to endure each day as an act of survival. The development I should have experienced to prepare me for adulthood weren't curated and surrounded by professional educators, guiding me toward a career path

Instead, my development focused on three things: finding shelter, finding water, and scrounging for food. I faced severe violence, sexual assault, and the dehumanizing reality of being invisible to society.

My brain developed in an environment that actively despised my existence.

The Turning Point

My path changed because of a single intervention. Following an attack, it was an act of kindness from a family that took me to the hospital that night, advocated for me, and took me in.

That act of kindness allowed me to reclaim my education, existence and life.

The Truth

But here is the truth that policy often misses: Housing didn't solve things for me.

I had a roof over my head towards the end of my teenage years, but the trauma of homelessness doesn't end there.

Why I Founded Beneath the Surface

The conversation around homelessness and its associated trauma has stagnated.

We talk about "housing affordability" and "statistics," but we ignore the human reality. We treat homelessness like a problem to be solved, without acknowledging that homelessness is a symptom of deeper issues.

We blame the individual instead of addressing the systemic issues that create it.

This flawed approach is why homelessness prevails.

I use my unique duality of Lived Experience and Academic Rigor to bridge that gap. I challenge these systemic failures because I know what it creates. The things my experiences have taught me are the things I bring to my work today.

My experiences taught me to fight. Fight for my survival. Fight for my education. Fight for my place in society.

And now I fight for not just for change, but for understanding.

Beyond the Work

My work is my active recovery. It’s the repurposing of my negative experiences into something positive. It’s producing the opportunities for change that last beyond my lifetime.

I don’t relive the worst aspects of my life because I enjoy it. It always hurts. I do it so others won’t have to experience it, because those that are able to change these circumstances are willing to listen and learn.

Are you going to listen?