“I’m afraid of celebrities! When I went to Disneyland, I saw an actor from Grey’s Anatomy and I couldn’t even look.” As much as senior Amy Matteson fears famous people, she is somewhat a celebrity here at Wilcox. Matteson, this year’s ASB Spirit Commissioner, has always been extremely involved in clubs, sports, and school events since freshman year.
Matteson has been part of a Girl Scout troop with the same girls for thirteen years. Through Girl Scouts, she learned how to plan events for the community and for younger Girl Scout troops. When Matteson got into high school, she realized that class council was similar to what she had been doing for most of her childhood. She quickly got involved in homecoming, Fantastics, and BBO her freshman year, which compelled her to run for class council the following year.
Matteson was sophomore class vice president and junior class president. She continued heavily participating in events. “I really want to make school [outside of academia] better for all the people and to bring the classes together,” Matteson said about her involvement at school. Matteson also found that she made friends she would not have otherwise met if it were not for gym times, float building days, and practice. “You know how the teachers always tell you to get involved? They’re not kidding! Get involved!”
In addition to loving class council, Matteson found a place for herself in Wilcox’s Interact Club. After joining freshman year, she became the secretary junior year and is currently vice president. “Most clubs don’t really have a straightforward purpose, but Interact resonated a clear purpose,” explained Matteson as she talked about why she joined. Like Girl Scouts, Interact Club is made up of smaller units that make up one big unit that tackles a certain cause. She also loved how welcoming the people in the club were to her when she joined. She recalled all the friends she made at RYLA, a leadership camp where “we learned how to squeeze the oranges of life,” who she talks to everyday even if she does not see them frequently. “They are the kind of friends who you cannot talk to forever, but as soon as you message them it’s like you never stopped talking.” Matteson believes “everyone has a place; you just have to find it”– so whether that place is Interact or Science Club, you will never know until you reach out.
Matteson encourages her peers to be “happy, optimistic, and there is no need to stress over things you can’t control.” She follows her own advice for there has never been a moment when I have seen her sad. She realized that most of her friends stress over tests, homework, or life in general.
Finding that there is no use in stressing or hampering your happiness, she advises, “If you can control something make a plan to fix it. Write down a list of things that are wrong and figure out why they’re wrong.” Additionally, Matteson believes that kindness is infinite–you can be nice to someone even if you dislike them. “I’ve always liked people. Everyone’s their own person and they have their own qualities,” said Matteson.
Amy Matteson radiates optimism and spirit throughout Wilcox. You can catch her excitedly flailing her arms at any rally, making weird faces in the background of any picture, and above all, just being a happy person at any time.