An area family has established a scholarship in memory of a former Northeast Community College student to honor his life and provide hope to others going through mental health struggles.
Note: This story contains material pertaining to mental health and suicide.
Matthew A. Cwach’s story is filled with sadness, hope, unanswered questions, and loving memories of a son, brother, husband and father.
Matthew was the son of George and the late Debra Cwach of Yankton, S.D., and brother of Jason Cwach and Alison (Ali) Cwach-Ernster. In the days of their childhood, Matt and his siblings were surrounded by a life filled with agriculture and cars. As the sons and daughter of car enthusiasts, the appreciation for anything with an engine was second nature.
“Matt was always helping Dad with something,” his sister Ali shared. “If it wasn’t a car, it would be an engine on a tractor. He had a hard time reading and spelling, so he would read Dad’s car magazines. This helped his skills and only increased his fascination with cars. Reading car magazines and then tinkering with engines eventually led to racing by the time he was a teenager starting with four-wheelers and then cars.”
At age 14, Matt purchased a Plymouth Satellite as a project car. By the time Matt turned 18, the car was running and considered one of his greatest possessions. The biggest achievement was rebuilding the engine from the engine block gifted by his father. Matt filled his time with his Satellite and 1994 Chevy Camaro Z28 and being active at Thunder Valley Dragway as a driver and car owner for other drivers. His family continues to enjoy the Satellite and Camaro, sharing that the Camaro was always Matt’s favorite.
In addition to cars, Matt enjoyed shooting competitions and listening to Metallica. In 1985, he founded Yankton Sharpshooters Club with his dad, George. He started competitively shooting service rifle at the age of 12. The duo traveled to shooting competitions where Matt earned many state championship titles.
It was a family affair with Matt and George being the only father and son in South Dakota to earn the distinguished rifleman award in 2019. His last competitive shoot was in 2020 in Yankton at the South Dakota State Championship. Matt held leadership positions for the Yankton Sharpshooters Club and South Dakota Shooting Sports Association for many years.
Matt graduated from Yankton High School in 1998 and then from Northeast Community College in 2000 with a degree in automotive technology. He worked for RPM Unlimited in Volin, S.D., and served in the Volin Volunteer Fire Department for many years.
“Matt always knew what he wanted to do, and Northeast was the place he wanted to go. It just always made sense,” said Ali. “No one ever questioned his decision.”
On May 14, 2016, Matt married Stacy Zeigler. The couple traveled often to two of their favorite destinations, Las Vegas and Arizona.
“Life with Stacy was happy and positive. She was always there for him and not afraid to match his ornery, smart, and sarcastic personality,” Ali said. “These were some of his brighter days.”
The couple made their home in Pierre, S.D., where Matt worked at a gun shop. He later stayed home when his son, Joseph “Joey,” was born in 2019. His family shared that marrying Stacy and welcoming Joey to the family were some of Matt’s happier days.
Before Joey’s birth, life had taken an unfortunate turn for Matt and Stacy, leading to uncertainty for the couple’s future.
In 2006, Matt had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Medication, three pills a day at a cost of $100 a week, and monitoring symptoms carried him through to 2010 when a follow-up diagnosis revealed that he was suffering with interstitial nephritis.
Interstitial nephritis is a rare form of kidney disease, a condition that was an unexpected side effect of his initial medication routine. Matt’s situation left him approaching the future with either dialysis three times a week or a kidney transplant.
A few years later Matt started dialysis which required constant travel from Pierre to Sioux Falls or Yankton. It was then determined Matt needed a kidney transplant. Immediate family members were either a mismatch or had conditions that restricted them from consideration. The family could only hope for an alternative donor.
Then in 2018, Ali’s friend called unexpectedly to share she had been tested and was accepted for a kidney cross-donation. Ali’s friend’s kidney was transported to Matt’s donor in Pennsylvania and then that donor kidney was transported to Matt in South Dakota.
This experience would allow Matt some years “without being stuck to a machine” for hours of treatment multiple times a week. However, the procedure came at a cost. Shortly after the transplant, Matt began to suffer from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) when suppressed memories arose due to neurological changes.
On June 1, 2021, Matt died by suicide at the age of 42 during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month.
Matt is remembered as being a devoted husband and father. His family says he would listen to others without judgement and was often very supportive. He was reserved, selfless, caring, sensitive, and loved dearly by his family and friends.
In January 2022 Matt’s daughter was born and named Mattie, in her father’s honor.
“Mattie will be 3 in a few months and Joey is 5,” Ali said. “It’s still early but Joey is passionate about cars and asks many questions. Mattie has her dad’s personality - his ornery, smart, and sarcastic personality we missed so much. They are the glue to our family and bring us a lot of light.”
To honor Matt the Cwach family established the Matthew A. Cwach Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship supports automotive technology students studying at Northeast Community College, with preference being given to students with strong work ethics and a passion for vehicles. The first award will be made for the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Matt was never the perfect student,” shared Ali. “However, when it came to his passions, he shined. He knew he had talent and remained humble (usually). His motto was to always ‘let the talent speak for itself.’”
The scholarship was established on Sept.1 to bring awareness to National Suicide Prevention Month.
During September, we remember the lives lost to suicide, acknowledge the millions more who have experienced suicidal thoughts, and the many individuals, families, and communities impacted by suicide. It’s also a time to raise awareness about suicide prevention and share messages of hope.
“As mental health counselors, we strive to normalize asking for help at Northeast, whether it's myself, a faculty member, or a friend. We know that one in three young adults have experienced a mental health issue in the past year and we are here to support them. No one should battle their mental health struggle alone,” said Gina Krysl, director of Student Care Outreach at Northeast. “As our mental health counselor, Alexis Huisman, often states, ‘No problem is ever too small or too big to talk to one of us counselors about.’ No one should feel shame in recognizing they need someone to talk to. We care deeply about our students and have confidential, no cost resources to assist them in these struggles right on campus.”
Although the idea was always in the back of Ali’s mind, it wasn’t until someone stood beside her that the idea of a scholarship became reality. Ali’s general manager, Joe Hedley, of Laramie GM Auto Center, offered to donate half of the scholarship for the first year. Shortly after, Norfolk Motor Company donated the other half.
“Kindness and compassion are lacking in the world and after losing Matt, not everyone was kind,” Ali shared. “After you go through something that traumatic and intense, kindness impacts you differently. It’s emotional, but in a good way. Joe has supported me since my first day at Laramie GM and he never met Matt. Many people at Laramie GM have been so supportive. I’m beyond grateful.”
“Our family plans to continue the scholarship through fundraising efforts. We are still working through details, but I have no doubt that it will relate to one of Matt’s passions. We must keep going, because there’s at least one person in heaven that doesn’t want us to quit,” Ali said. “We will always have an empty spot in our hearts, but Matt’s memory will continue.”
Memorial donations to the Matthew A. Cwach Memorial Scholarship can be made at northeast.edu/giving/donate or by calling 402-844-7240.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out for help. Call 911: If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Call 988: Get connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. Crisis Text Line: Get 24/7 help from the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
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