Military Mathis: The Lore Drop

Mr. Mathis, a Cybersecurity teacher and varsity softball coach, is beloved by all who know him. With an enthusiastic personality on and off the field, his fascinating stories about his time in the military are highly anticipated. After twenty years in the United States Navy, Mr. Mathis retired to become a high school teacher and coach.

Mr. Mathis was excited to be able to share about his life. He was deployed thirteen times in many different places in the world, including countries in Europe and the Middle East. He started his extensive military career as a Radioman (someone responsible for operating radio equipment in the Navy or Coast Guard). Later, Mr. Mathis transitioned to the role of Information Systems Technician. This meant he worked to maintain a part of the Navy's computer systems and communications. “I retired in 2014 at the rank of Chief Petty Officer,” Mr. Mathis recalls. After twenty years in the military, you are eligible to retire, so Mr. Mathis seized the opportunity. While he loved his time serving, he wanted to be able to spend more time with his daughter as she continued to grow up. 

Mr. Mathis loves to tell people about all of his deployments and the groups of people he has gotten to work with. He said that one of his favorite things to talk about is when he worked on aircraft carriers and in the deserts with Special Forces from all branches of the military. The most interesting thing that ever happened to him during his time in the Navy was when he got to serve as the Communications Officer for a submarine research camp at the North Pole! It was a deployment to the very top of the world, where he was on ice every single day for nine months. He has kept all of his uniforms and many mementos from his deployments. Mr. Mathis said that he also created a shadow box full of all the medals and ranks he was awarded while in the Navy. He has been able to add to his awards since becoming a teacher and was even awarded Best Teacher. 

After retiring from the military, Mr. Mathis sought out a passion he had had since he was 11 years old: teaching and coaching. He now enjoys helping his students learn new things and build their confidence so that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to. But why Cybersecurity?

He fell in love with Cybersecurity when the Navy gave him the role of Cybersecurity Expert for an entire carrier battle group in 2001. When asked which of his careers he prefers, Mr. Mathis said that there were many drawbacks as well as benefits in both teaching and the military. He has had many memorable experiences doing both and has respect for people in both professions. He mentioned that the military was a much more structured and disciplined environment. He said that there was much more respect for authority in the Navy than he had found in teaching. In fact, this was one of the main concerns he found while teaching. Mr. Mathis said that he sometimes wishes his students shared the same sense of purpose and urgency to succeed as he does. 

This purpose extends far beyond the classroom, however. You see, as a child, he loved playing baseball, and he never forgot his love for the game. Mr. Mathis said, “I love coaching softball because it is a very fast-paced/competitive game and the girls at BHS play it VERY well.”

Maddie Dejesus (10), a varsity softball player, describes Mr. Mathis as a fantastic coach who makes softball enjoyable. She commented that he is a good coach because of how he gets excited even over little things. 

Henry Olsen (9), a Cybersecurity student, said, “Mr. Mathis is a teacher who helps me excel…With his well-organized work schedule and ability to teach, I feel like there is nothing I can’t grasp under his guidance… Mr. Mathis is not afraid to restrict himself to teaching; he is well known for his attempts to make jokes even if they don’t land well.” Henry went on to say that he is also the cleanest teacher he has ever met. Henry ended the interview by remarking that he hopes to have Mr. Mathis as a teacher in the future. 

Alexandra Smith (10) was another Cybersecurity student I interviewed who shared a different perspective than Henry. Alexandra said that she only took Cybersecurity because she couldn’t get into CompSci, but that she enjoys the class and having Mr. Mathis as a teacher. She said that when Mr. Mathis isn’t telling interesting military stories, her class is pretty quiet and hard-working. 

One of the best-loved teachers at BHS: Cybersecurity teacher and varsity softball coach Mr. Mathis! Everyone who knows him met him with a smile and ended up laughing at the humorous stories of his long career in the Navy. His joking personality makes him a teacher you want to know, and the stories he shares are heard in some way or another by a greater part of the student population. Who doesn’t love story time with Mathis?

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Written by Ada Gaines

Photography by Sallie Frost