Mr. Matt Coon has taught at Williamson for 25 years, and is Williamson High School’s sole business teacher. This year, he’s teaching Career & Financial Management, Accounting, and Sports & Entertainment Marketing, as well as two half-year classes, Keyboarding and Google Applications.
Career and Financial Management is a state-recommended course, and completing the class will help a student get closer to earning a CTE (career and technical education) designation on their state diploma upon graduation. It centers on career exploration, as well as practical job-preparation tasks like building resumes, writing cover letters, holding mock interviews and filling out job applications.
Mr. Coon enjoys teaching the class because it gives him an opportunity to help students dive into different job and career paths well before they need to make those important decisions in their post-high school lives.
“I think sometimes parents and guardians focus on specific careers, instead of what kids are interested in and like to do,” Mr. Coon said. “We try to stress in that class, don't focus on a specific career right away — focus on what are you good at, what do you like to do, then we can highlight that stuff.”
For some, if not many, high school graduates, choosing a career path can be daunting. And choosing the wrong path is a likely possibility. Mr. Coon knows what that’s like first-hand, seeing as he went to school initially for accounting before pivoting into education.
WHS Principal Dr. Kate Avery said Mr. Coon’s classes are a valuable asset to students in the District.
“What I love about this class is it’s one of those classes when people say ‘Oh I wish my kid learned how to do this,’ this is the class where they do,” she said. “Parents always want to see more real-world classes and this is one every kid can benefit from taking.”
For Mr. Coon, one of the greatest parts of teaching is when the material has a direct effect on a student’s career outside of the classroom. When a student comes in and says the job interview prep or resume tweaks helped them land a job, that makes it all worth it.
“It’s different every year, and I like that you get kids and you watch them grow,” Mr. Coon said. “I'm old enough now that I’m getting kids’ kids, and to watch the growth of the kids is fun.”
