Matt Hocks ’94: CDH sets the bar for success

by Greta Cunningham '23, Communications Intern

Tell me about your experience at CDH.

JROTC was very impactful for me. It opened my eyes to leadership, responsibility, and service to your country. I think the discipline aspect of military education was really good for me and something I took a lot of pride in. 

I also loved being a part of CDH sports. The athletic programs really offered a sense of community and teamwork. The coaches I had were the greats of the greats and fostered an environment where everyone felt important and a part of the team. 

In addition to coaches, I had fantastic teachers in every class. They made everyone feel like they were a part of a family and that people cared about them. It didn’t feel like they were just doing their job but that this was really a calling and a mission for them. 

When I reflect back, that’s what stands out to me—leadership, teamwork, and the sense of belonging to something bigger, a family within a school, all grounded in faith. 

Did any of your family attend Cretin, Derham Hall, or CDH? What does that family connection mean to you? 

I’m the oldest of six kids, and all of us went to CDH. My mom and her sisters went to Derham Hall. My aunt taught at CDH for over 35 years and her kids attended with my siblings and I. 

My grandfather also graduated from Cretin. He was a pretty pivotal person in my life. Him having gone there and talking about it, along with my mom and her sisters, instilled a sense of legacy and belonging for me. It motivated me to be successful in my education, knowing I was representing my family at the school. 

You’re currently the Chief Operating Officer at Sanford Health. How did CDH prepare you for your career?

I think it helped create the drive to be successful and excellent in all things, whether that be education, leadership, or athletics. There’s a high bar at CDH, and success is driven from that. It was my initial exposure to that kind of expectation within a school, within a family, within a community. 

There’s no way I’m in the position I’m in today without the faith-based education I had. I credit the school with a lot of my success, going way back to the beginning and building a young man who has the prerequisites to be successful as they go out into the world and on their own.

What do you consider to be the value of a CDH Catholic education? 

I think that family piece. To this day, there are things I reflect back on from my high school experience and aspire to today when it comes to operating like a family. I work in a large corporation with over 50,000 employees, and I’m constantly asking myself that question: if family is a value, how do we live that out? I think that’s something CDH really taught me—how to live out the values we were learning through faith based education. What does it mean to be a good neighbor? What does it mean to be a good member of the family? 

Why has it been important to you to support CDH? Tell me about the annual scholarship you’ve recently pledged to and why you wanted to do that in honor of your mom, Therese Moudry. 

I obviously want to give back to an organization that really started it all for me. My mom passed away in 2007, so this is a nice way to honor her. She was a staunch Catholic, and I think that probably came from her time at Derham Hall. It solidified how important faith was for her personally, and my parents made sure we all had that experience as well.

What do you hope to be the impact of your generosity to CDH? 

It’s about giving somebody an opportunity that otherwise couldn't afford to have. In the long run, I hope individuals that are able to receive this scholarship and get the education that I had will, maybe 20 or 30 years down the road, understand the importance of philanthropy and education, especially a Catholic education, and consider doing something similar to pay it forward. 

It’s also an opportunity for my family to come together and honor my mom but an opportunity for people to live out that same legacy that we did and give back to the school, give back to the community, and just be a better all-around person because of their experience at Cretin-Derham Hall. 

Make an impact today!

There’s still time to make your 2025 gift to Cretin-Derham Hall and help support our students. Giving is easy, and every gift makes a meaningful difference.

Three simple ways to give:

Online: Donate securely today

Phone or Email:
For credit card gifts or stock transfer instructions, please contact
Maureen Hartung, Director of Annual Giving
(651) 696-3319 | mhartung@c-dh.org

By Mail:
Please make checks payable to Cretin-Derham Hall and mail to:
CDH Advancement Office
550 S. Albert Street
Saint Paul, MN 55116

Thank you for being part of the Cretin-Derham Hall community. If you’ve already made a gift this year, please accept our sincere thanks, your generosity is deeply appreciated.