This month, Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors is pleased to introduce you to The Hamscher Family: Matt, Allison, Maise, Emery and Willa. Their story proves that sometimes the circumstances that lead you to where you least expect take you precisely to where you’re meant to be.
Matt was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley. One of six kids, Matt graduated from Whitehall High School, where he played football, basketball, baseball, and ran track. After high school, Matt attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), earning a degree in Economics. “I also played football in college,” Matt said. “Our team won the Ivy League Championship two of the years I was on the team.”
Today, Matt works in Respiratory and Immunology for a pharmaceutical company. Before that, he spent some time in the startup biotech space and the rare disease therapeutic field. Matt said that he feels a personal connection and commitment to his work. “The products I support are for severe asthma,” Matt explained. “Both my hometown of Allentown and the Philadelphia area fall in the top 10 of asthma prevalence across the United States.”
Living an active lifestyle has always been important to Matt. “I’m a runner and have recently started competing in long-distance triathlons,” he said. “Currently, I am signed up to do a few Ironman races, including the one in Lake Placid, which has been a goal for me for some time.” The Ironman competitions are 70.3-mile races that draw triathletes from all over the world. Matt explained that the race comprises a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run.
Allison is originally from West Chester, where she grew up with her parents, Steve and Bev Tatios, and her three sisters. She was a member of the first graduating class at W.C. Rustin High School and played lacrosse and soccer. Allison then continued her education at UPenn, where she also played Division 1 lacrosse. She earned her BA in Visual Studies before founding her career consulting firm.
Elevated Resumes is Allison’s full-service resume creation firm that offers optimized content and memorable designs, “I work with clients from around the world to help them land the jobs they want and deserve,” Allison explained. “I also provide my clients with personal branding and coaching programs.” Allison and her team have their own impressive resume, working with NBA coaches, CEOs, Executives from Fortune 500 companies and even a NASA Astronaut!
Matt and Allison’s love story began in college. “We met in 2008 on our very first day at UPenn,” Allison said. “We both played sports, so we shared many mutual friends and attended many of the same social activities.” The happy couple dated through college, married in 2016, surrounded by family and friends in Lancaster and honeymooned in Italy. “We toured Rome, Florence, Venice and Tuscany,” Matt said. “We both agreed that Florence was our favorite.”
After the honeymoon, the newlyweds moved to Phoenixville and then spent some time living in Manayunk. “We moved to Boston in 2018 and had planned to stay in New England for five to ten years,” Allison explained. “That was until the pandemic shifted our perspective.” At the time, Matt was working in Boston. “With everything shut down, we found ourselves returning to this area to spend time with family every few weeks,” he said. “On one of our trips, we had long-time family friends of Allison’s, Cheryl and Dom, take our oldest daughter to see horses and goats on the street they lived on.” Allison had been to their house many times growing up and already knew how special it was, but on that visit, Matt and their daughter fell in love with the neighborhood, too. They joked and said that if a house came up for sale on the street, they would buy it. “Turns out the neighbors next to her had just listed their home,” Allison laughed. “We put an offer in, got the house and here we are!”
The home needed some renovations that Matt and Allison were prepared to do. “I love being creative,” Allison said happily. “Our home is our favorite thing to work on, and we absolutely love our neighborhood” They have completed most of the work on the interior; last year, they added a huge garden and glass greenhouse to the backyard. The Hamschers also have a nine-year-old Weimaraner/Mastiff mix named Woodlyn, a few chickens and plans to add more animals in the future.
Speaking of additions, Allison and Matt have added three little girls to their family. And their family friend, Cheryl, who now lives directly next door? Well, Cheryl and her husband, Dom, have added more grandchildren to their bunch because the Hamscher girls call them Nana and Uncle Dom.
Maise is Allison and Matt’s oldest daughter. She is an active 4-year-old who loves crafts and coloring. “Maise loves being the big sister and even helps change diapers,” Allison said. “She also loves animals and often finds frogs and turtles that she loves to bring in the house!”
Their second daughter is two-year-old Emery, whom her parents describe as fearless. “Emery loves music and is always trying to keep up with her big sister,” Matt laughed. “She loves her chickens, too, and often sneaks them inside!”
The baby of the bunch is ten-month-old Willa, a happy girl with a silly personality. She’s also quite the traveler earning her first passport stamp! “Willa’s first vacation with Matt and I was to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico to attend a wedding,” Allison said.
Matt, Allison and the girls are always on the go, but the place they love the most is their home here in Glen Mills. They describe their neighborhood as quiet and serene, surrounded by great families and neighbors in their cul de sac. “We love that Glen Mills feels like a small hometown, but we can also sneak out to visit our favorite Philly restaurants, though our three little ones keep us pretty busy at the moment,” Matt said.
Maise will tell you that her favorite part of her neighborhood is Nana’s house. All she has to do is run across the field for baking dates and craft activities. “Nana is the best baker,” Allison gushed. “And Uncle Dom is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to fixing and building, so Matt has learned so much from him.” Matt added that Allison’s dad is also a builder, and between him and Dom, they have been instrumental in helping
with their “fixer-upper.”
Spending time with family, friends, and life-long friends who have become family is what fills the Hamschers’ hearts with joy. Matt’s family is just a short drive up the turnpike, Allison’s mom and youngest sister are in West Chester and summers are spent swimming in their pool, relaxing by their pond and exploring Ridley Creek State Park.
Matt, Allison and the girls: Thank you for sharing your story with our Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors. Here’s to many more years of happiness in the place we all love to call home. Do you know a Newtown Edgmont family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.