Matthew Valdez is an Agent at the Megibow Liteary Agency. MatthewÕs love of literature began as a teenager when his mom handed him a copy of TWILIGHT after years of being a reluctant reader. Then, in college he took a Young Adult Literature class and was further hooked on young adult novels. In fact, it was this Lit professor who encouraged Matthew to attend a YALLFest that launched him into the world of publishing. With over a decade of volunteering at conferences and interning at literary agencies, Matthew brings a behind-the-scenes perspective to his job as agent. Matthew holds a BachelorÕs in Secondary Education from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is currently attending The University of Central Florida to obtain his MasterÕs in Educational Leadership. He lives in sunny Florida where he teaches High School English and hopes just a sliver of his passion for books rubs off on his students.