As a school that both fosters a diverse community and offers endless opportunities for its students, AHS has always been a charming school to many. Unsurprisingly, there are a number of current AHS teachers who also graduated from the school and chose to stay to pursue their passion for teaching. Among these alumni is Kathleen Mathis, one of the IB Language and Literature teachers.

When Mathis was a student at AHS, graduating with the Class of 2001, there were many aspects about the school that differed from the school many know today. For example, the trailers had not yet been built; the space was instead being used as a recreational spot for the students, allowing them to get some fresh air during the school day.

“It was just an open field, which was really nice since people could go outside and play games during lunch or just eat outside if it was nice,” Mathis said.

Additionally, one notable issue schools face today that hers did not is the distraction of cell phones in educational settings. They were only just becoming widely used when Mathis graduated which, looking back, is something she is greatly thankful for.

“I feel like students now, they always have their phones on them. I would just say…take the time to talk to the people sitting next to you,” Mathis said. “Even if you think you have nothing in common, there’s so much you can learn from each other. So, make those relationships and those connections, and it will serve you well in the future.”

Personally, Mathis was involved in a few honor societies alongside a number of sports which included volleyball, basketball, and lacrosse, with the addition of karate outside of school. With her involvement in so many different communities, she was constantly exposed to the people at school.

“The demographics have changed, but the fact that Annandale is diverse is the same,” Mathis said. “I really liked being at a place where I knew people from all different countries who spoke different languages and widened my eyes to different perspectives.”

Her time in high school also taught her many lifelong lessons. On one occasion, Mathis was in William Maglisceau’s English class, and there was a situation where she got in trouble with the teacher. As a timid rule-follower as well as someone who avoids trouble as much as possible, Mathis was really upset and complained to her mother. Like she had done in the past, Mathis expected her mother to contact her teacher and resolve the conflict for her, but her mother instead urged Mathis to speak up for herself.

“She told me no, that she wouldn’t always be there to help with that and that I needed to find my own voice and speak up for myself,” Mathis said.

The following day, it took everything she had to get the courage to speak to Maglisceau. Ironically enough, he had no recollection of the incident while it was Mathis’ whole world.

“[That day], I learned that two people experiencing the same thing can remember things differently or walk away with a different take on things,” Mathis said.

She also recognized the importance of advocating for herself, as her mother pushed her to do.

“My mom was right…that I needed to be able to speak up for myself if I had any conflict with people or a misunderstanding,” Mathis said. “And I learned that I could, even though it was hard.”

Along with these valuable lessons, Mathis was also able to graduate high school with a sense of appreciation for the time and opportunities she was given. To her surprise, she actually experienced a reverse culture shock when going to her college due to the lack of diversity there. It was strange to her to be in an environment that lacked that mix of cultures, languages, and perspectives.

“I don’t think students realize how special their time here is, and they may not know it next year, they might not know it in a couple years,” Mathis said. “But this is a special place where many people can feel comfortable, even if they don’t look like everyone else, and it’s a place where you can learn not only from your teachers and the classroom materials…but from the people that are here.”

Mathis’ exciting years as a student at AHS, though brief, taught her many foundational lessons that proved to build upon her core beliefs. And, now with the perspective of a teacher, Mathis is able to recognize the value of the strong student culture and community within the school.

“I didn’t mean to come back and teach here, but I did, and I’m so glad because I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Mathis said.