Jennifer Matheson is one of those people who, when you meet them, you know that you’re going to be glad you did! Born and raised in the West River Valley, Jennifer has a strong sense of place, a commitment to her community and the skills and passion to make a difference. While Jennifer is not a new collaborator, she recently joined the West River Valley Thrives Coalition as a Youth-Serving Sector Representative, so I thought it would be fitting to share a bit of her story and officially welcome her to the Thrives family!
The day of our interview, Jennifer walked over from Grace Cottage Hospital, where she just happens to have been born and where she now works as a Medical Coder. She grew up in Wardsboro, attended Wardsboro Elementary and is a Leland and Gray alumni, class of 1989. The mother of two other Rebels, Jennifer’s children are third generation, and her super cute grandson may make it four generations!
While she tried life outside of Vermont, family and wanting stability for her kids while in school, rerooted Jennifer in the Valley. She currently lives in Newfane where she settled in 2016, after starting work at Grace Cottage. Before that, Jennifer spent 17 years at the Brattleboro Retreat. Hobbies include: cooking and baking, graphic design, loom knitting, science fiction movies and reading.
One of the many hats that Jennifer wears outside of work and motherhood, is that of Layout Editor for the Bucketville News. While she had no formal training when she began in 2011, Jennifer said she took on the job because she knew the editor and was looking for something to do that wasn’t work related. The newspaper has since grown from a staff of 2, to a non-profit with a small team. When asked why she still does it, Jennifer said she enjoys the people, the work and giving back to her community. Besides being a great source of local news, Bucketville News provides scholarships, community service opportunities and is a great resource for young people interested in journalism and writing.
One of the most intriguing roles that Jennifer fills in our community is that of Scoutmaster for our local Scout BSA Troop 428. While her initial involvement was supporting her son Peter as a scout, Jennifer found herself drawn to the program in general and to the process of Advancement, learning the skills needed to advance to the next level. So when the former leader retired, Jennifer said, “I had the time, I knew the people who could help me, and I loved the idea behind Scouting, so I offered to get trained and take over as Scoutmaster.”
In true Jennifer spirit, not only did she complete Scoutmaster training, she went on to earn the Wood Badge, an additional level of certification in leadership training. This certification requires scoutmasters to choose projects that benefit not only the scouts and their communities, but the program itself. This is where Jennifer’s interest in Advancement comes full circle. Jennifer says she saw the need to protect the integrity of Advancement. She wanted to make sure that it didn’t become “just checking the box”. “Older scouts play an important role in training younger scouts so if they don’t have good mastery of the skills themselves, they can’t pass them on.” Consequently, Jennifer’s Advancement process is rigorous for her scouts. She says she may hold them to a higher standard than other troop leaders, but they all achieve mastery.
While son Peter heads off to college in the fall, Jennifer says she has no plans to step down as Scoutmaster. She says scouting is a great place for kids to learn a variety of skills, morals, ethics and leadership, all in a safe and supported environment. Jennifer knows the importance of positive role models and caring adults in youths’ lives, and that is something she can do as a scout leader to continue to give back to her community.
Despite all the hats she already wears, Jennifer said she was thrilled when asked to join the Coalition. “I liked the idea of engaging area teens in activities, either with scouting or outside of scouting, that promote a drug and alcohol free environment, [and] I hope that I can use the skills and connections I have made over the last decade to provide help and resources to enhance life in the West River Valley.
We applaud Jennifer for all that she has done and continues to do to help make the West River Valley a great place to live! Her commitment to our youth and broader community is commendable and we are thrilled to have her join our Coalition. Jennifer brings an authentic knowledge of the challenges our youth and families face, as well as a commitment to identifying solutions. We look forward to working with her to help West River Valley families Thrive!
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about Scouting, contact Jennifer at jmatheson1971@gmail.com. If you would like to know more about the West River Valley Thrives Coalition and how you can get involved, contact Meg at, wrvtdirector@gmail.com.