From the battlefield to the classroom, Mr. Vernon Mathews transformed his 22 years of military service into a new mission: inspiring and educating special needs students. Throughout his service, one thing has stayed constant: his emphatic ideals on family, teamwork, and helping others. 

Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, Mathews lived a quaint childhood. Sports were an important part of his early life. Mathews reflected on 1981, a great year for high school baseball in his hometown. “My baseball team won the state championship, and that was probably the high point of high school athletics,” he stated. Mathews was a catcher in high school, a position that requires one to be a leader and take control over difficult situations. Mathews’ athleticism was not limited only to baseball. He also played football and basketball during his high school years. This later inspired his interest in coaching and assisting in the athletic department. 

Inspired to serve and follow in his father’s footsteps, Mathews enlisted and started his 22 years in the Army. On February 6, 1985, Mathews arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia to attend Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training. After being awarded the MOS 11H10 (Infantry Direct Fire Crewman) for his specialty, Mathews was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division as a TOW gunner at Fort Campbell, where he worked and earned the Air Assault Badge and graduated from the Unit Small Arms Course. 

On January 12, 1987, he arrived in Germany and continued to serve as a TOW gunner. He received various awards and commendation letters throughout his time there. He completed his active-duty service in December of 1988. Mathews said, “As I got older and had kids, probably the most emotional [part] was being deployed overseas for a year, knowing I wasn’t gonna see my family for almost a year.”

On February 6, 1989, Mathews was thrown back into the fray as Fire Team Leader for the B Co 1/170 Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division of the Virginia Army National Guard. In November of 1989, he got the big promotion he had worked very hard for.

 Fast forwarding to October of 2006, Mathews entered the retirement process after a long and successful career, in which he earned multiple promotions, medals, and successfully completed multiple courses, deployments, and training. Mathews ended his 22 year long run as the First Sergeant for his unit. “I started as a private and I rose all the way up,” he said. 

At age 40, Mathews began the journey to a new career. He came into teaching by watching his own teachers. “Teachers, especially my coaches in high school, they played a big part in developing me and taught me a lot about life, a lot about teamwork…I want to give back like they’ve given to me. So that’s why I went into education,” he explained. After completing his degrees before his retirement from the military, he began teaching at JMU, working an administrative role and teaching Military Science 101 for the ROTC Department for his first seven months. 

Mathews then applied for a job with Warren County Public Schools, where he was hired and went into Special Education in 2007. He worked there for eight years while also coaching varsity baseball, basketball, and football. “We made family decisions on myself coaching different sports, also having the opportunity here at Woodgrove. So throughout this whole time, I had full support of my wife and my kids, which I’m really appreciative of,” Mathews added.

In 2015, Mathews was hired by LCPS as a Special Education teacher at Trailside Middle School. A year later, he landed a job at Woodgrove High School as the Assistant Athletic Director, where he served for six and a half years before moving back into the classroom as a Special Education teacher, where he remains to this day. 

Reflecting on this life, Mathews stated, “I feel like I’ve had the best of both worlds. When I was young, my dad was in the military, so I’ve always wanted to serve in the military. And then as I was in high school, I always wanted to be a high school teacher and a coach…I’m really appreciative to have had the opportunities that I’ve had.”