You may know her as the voice that rings through the loudspeakers in the mornings. Or you may know her as the administrator who returns lost phones. What you may not know about Melissa Matsu, however, is that she is the past owner of seven dogs, a former resident of England, and a biology major.
“I’ve loved marine science and biology since I was a kid. I always thought I was going to work with whales — not dolphins. I know dolphins are popular, but I wanted whales,” Matsu stated.
After attending the University of Miami, Matsu was set on becoming a marine biologist. However, she soon realized that only a small percentage of marine biologists can secure a well-paying job in the field. On top of that, many lived on boats, an arrangement that did not appeal to her. So she began to explore alternate ways of using her passion and her degree to build a career.
“I talked to a friend who was teaching biology, and I thought, ‘Oh, that sounds interesting. I’ll try that out for a while.’ And now, over 25 years later, here I am. Teaching became a practical way to stay connected to the subject I loved,” Matsu noted.
Matsu’s first teaching position was at Lee High School (later renamed Wisdom High School) as a biology teacher.
“I started at an inner city, low-income, mostly immigrant school — Wisdom — with so many languages, so many cultures. And having gone to St. John’s and River Oaks Baptist, I had not been exposed to a huge diversity in income. I loved it because I felt like every day was educational for me. You never know what a kid is walking in the door with,” Matsu reflected.
Matsu eventually moved on, accepting a teaching position at Kempner High School, a 3,000-student suburban high school, which provided her with a very different teaching experience.
“I was just one of 18 science teachers, and I would walk up and down the hallway every day and have no idea who those other adults were because the school was so large,” Matsu said.
Finally, after an encounter with a former CVHS biology teacher who was leaving education, and who offered Matsu her spot, she accepted a position as a biology teacher at CVHS in 2006. At that time, nearly 20 years ago, CVHS was half the size it is today. The small size of the school allowed for a tight-knit community, a big change from her experience at Kempner High School. Matsu finds that her rich experience of teaching students from various backgrounds at multiple schools allows her to connect with the students at CVHS on a deeper level.
“This is the only school I’ve been an administrator at, but I have taught full time at three schools, and I tell people often I’m so glad I taught at those three,” Matsu said.
There are two professional achievements of which Matsu is most proud. The first was being one of 60 teachers selected to participate in the Toyota International Teacher Program in 2005, which allowed Matsu to see how schools function in Japan and how lessons are taught.
“They brought us to Japan for 16 days, fully paid for. We got to meet the ambassador, go to the World’s Fair, stay at amazing five-star hotels, and visit schools,” Matsu said. The other professional achievement Matsu is most proud of is being chosen by the College Board to travel to China for a similar project.
Eventually, the repetitive process of grading piles of identical homework assignments and tests became an aspect of her life as a teacher that Matsu did not enjoy. Along with several fellow teachers, Matsu looked into getting her principal certification, a decision that would open up further job opportunities, as a spot for an assistant principal soon opened at Carnegie. Matsu took the leap and now, 19 years after coming to CVHS and 13 years after becoming an assistant principal, Matsu is a highly organized, action-oriented, and detail-focused administrator who loves that she gets to apply these qualities in her job every day.
“I am not looking for a change. I enjoy an assistant principal position more [than teaching], not because I’m scared of change, but more because it fits my personality. I enjoy problem-solving, and that isn’t so much a principal job, which would probably be the next most logical step. I’m more detail-oriented, Mr. Garner’s more like ‘big picture’. So we kind of are yin and yang, right? I’m pretty settled here. I like the community, the parents, I think that [CVHS and I] are a good fit,” Matsu said.
Matsu’s responsibilities as assistant principal have shifted over the years, but a typical day consists of a variety of duties. Matsu begins her day by checking for teacher absences. Then, she observes classes and completes formal spot observation reports. She spends the rest of her time running all of the CVHS social media accounts, curating the ninth-grade email, helping with magnet tours, and answering parent emails and phone calls. Each day is always different from the last.
Matsu recognizes that because teachers don’t often get the opportunity to observe each other, she can help bridge that gap by connecting teachers who are developing skills in a particular area with teachers who are strong in that same area.
“One of my favorite parts is seeing the incredible variety of ways our teachers engage with students. I think I was just an okay teacher, but now I get to visit different classrooms and witness amazing teaching styles,” Matsu said. “I love absorbing all this knowledge and then using it to support our teachers. Nobody’s perfect, but sharing strategies makes everyone stronger,” she reflected.
Outside of the workplace, Matsu loves volunteering and traveling. She still keeps herself busy through volunteering at service leagues and helping the neighborhood cats.
“There are a few people in the neighborhood that help do what they call TNR — trap, neuter, and release cats — and so we help with that. I do a lot of volunteering with the Junior League of Houston, the Fort Bend Junior Service League,” Matsu said.
One of Matsu’s favorite hobbies is traveling and exploring new destinations.
“Since my parents are Canadian and my husband is English, we have family in many continents, many places. We just went to New York a couple weekends ago and have plans to go to New Mexico. We are driving to see Carlsbad Caverns over spring break,” Matsu said.
With over a quarter-century of experience, if Matsu were to give any piece of advice to her younger self – or any current CVHS students, Matsu says, “don’t wait too long to make a change”. As a teacher, the responsibility of constant grading weighed her down. Looking back, Matsu believes that if she had taken the leap of becoming an administrator earlier, she would have been happier even if the action would have been a risk.
“Don’t just keep doing the same old thing, thinking it’s going to change. Look at it, do an analysis and say, ‘What do I need to change?’ Don’t expect [the situation] just to fix itself,” Matsu stated.
Matsu looks forward to the future of CVHS. As an integral part of the community, she does her best to adapt to new circumstances, such as AI and new technology, which she doesn’t see as a barrier to learning but rather as an opportunity for improvement and change.
“I think it’s important for Carnegie to continually adapt to an ever-changing educational environment. My role is to constantly analyze, where do I fit in here, and what can I do to improve this,” Matsu said.
