Meet Debra Matthews, West Forest’s new English and Language Arts and Family Consumer Science Teacher!
Mrs. Deb Matthews is the new English Language Arts and Family Consumer Science teacher at West Forest. Mrs. Matthews wanted to be a teacher since the 3rd grade. After 7 years as a business owner, she became a full-time homemaker in order to care for her young daughters. During this time, she also taught classes at her church, and she and her husband served as foster parents. Later, she volunteered with Keystone Smiles Americorps, teaching English Language Arts, where she found the confidence needed to go to college at 45 and follow her passion. Five years later, she graduated from Clarion University with a degree in secondary education in English and social studies. After doing long-term sub jobs around Clarion and Venango County, she landed at Cranberry Jr. Sr. High School, teaching English Language Arts to many wonderful students. Through that time, Deb earned her Master’s of Education in the Teaching and Learning of English from Liberty University.
For fun, she loves to spend time on the river, kayaking, and swimming. She also loves to hike, explore state and national parks, and do research on Ancestry. Of course, much of her time is spent doing many of these things with her precious family. Deb is very, very excited about this new leg of her journey, looking forward to getting to know the staff, students, and parents of West Forest.
