Wealth Management Internship Program Established in Memory of Matthew N. Papillo ’00

In memory of Fairfield alumnus Matthew N. Papillo ’00, who passed in Sept. 2025, his employer, Arax Investment Partners, has partnered with Fairfield University to establish an internship program that will provide Fairfield students with real-world experience in wealth management.

The Matthew Papillo Wealth Management Internship Program was created to honor Papillo’s legacy of mentorship, leadership, and dedication to supporting the development of young professionals entering the industry.

Papillo was a founding member of the Arax team and is remembered by his colleagues and dear friends as a loyal, humble, and kind person, and a dedicated professional. “He was a highly successful financial advisor who was devoted to servicing the wealth management and investment needs of his clients and their families,” said John O’Connor ’85, P’24, chief operating officer at Arax, and a fellow Fairfield alumnus. “His client relationships spanned decades, which was a true testament to the value he provided to their families.”

Papillo had enduring ties to the University community. He was proud to be an alumnus of Fairfield College Preparatory School and Fairfield University. He met his wife, Carrie (Johnson ’00), when they were undergraduate classmates. His father, Nicholas Papillo, worked at the University for many years.

Knowing how much Fairfield meant to Papillo, the Arax team saw the internship program as a fitting way to honor him. “By establishing this internship program, we hope to honor and always remember Matthew in a meaningful way,” O’Connor said.

The program welcomed its inaugural intern, Will Kelley ’27, this past summer. “It’s a great honor to be the first intern in this program, especially considering the significant presence Matthew had in the office,” Kelley said. “Being the first student to be part of honoring his legacy, and also coming from Fairfield, I take that responsibility very seriously. It’s a responsibility I hold close, and it pushes me to bring my best self to everything I do here.”

Commuting into New York City and working alongside the Arax team exposed Kelley to a new professional environment that has furthered his learning and growth. Throughout the experience, Kelley felt a familiar sense of community at Arax, one that reminded him of the environment at Fairfield Dolan and within the larger University community. “In both settings, everyone’s very motivated and hardworking,” Kelley said. “And when you’re surrounded by people like that, it makes you want to do the same and go above and beyond.”

As the intern program continues, Arax looks forward to providing Fairfield student-interns with hands-on professional experiences and supporting them as they establish a network of peers and mentors.

Matthew Papillo was a kind and loving husband and father of three children, Nicholas, Christopher, and Mary Anne. “We are honored that Matthew’s employer is collaborating with Fairfield University to create the internship in Matthew’s name,” Carrie said. “Fairfield is a special place to us.”

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