Emma Matthews WBL Career Path

My name is Emma Lea Matthews. I was born in North Charleston, South Carolina on
May 19th, 1997. I am the second child of Melinda Murphy and Jack David Matthews, and my
older brother is Jack Cade Matthews. My family moved from South Carolina to Buford, Georgia
in 2000. I attended school at Sycamore Elementary until I was in the third grade. Then, I moved
with my mother and brother to Homer, Georgia. I finished fourth and fifth grade at the Banks
County Upper Elementary School. Before I started sixth grade, we moved to Clarkesville and I
completed my middle school career at South Habersham Middle School. I am currently attending
Habersham Central High School as a senior. I would describe myself as hard working and
dedicated. I have never let my multiple location changes affect my grades or my cheerful outlook
on life. I am very involved in several organizations at my school, including the Band of Blue,
Key Club, student council, Academic Bowl, Tri-M Music Honors Society, and Work-Based
Learning. I am also involved in the dual enrollment program at my school and last semester I
took three classes at North GA Technical College and this semester I am taking a class at
Piedmont College.
Probably the most influential person in my life has been my brother, Cade. My brother
has been there for me literally every day of my life, constantly encouraging me to do my best.
Ever since I was little, I have looked up to my older brother and wanted to be like him. My
brother definitely took notice of this and has always put his best foot forward for my benefit. In
turn, I have always tried to succeed for not only my own benefit, but to show my brother that his
guidance is working. In this way, we have both continued to grow and develop into confident,
capable individuals. Another very influential person in my life is Mr. Ryan Dukes, my band
director at Habersham Central. Mr. Dukes has shown me that pursuing your passion is not

always fun, but is usually difficult and discouraging. Everyday, he deals with high school
students who are often lazy and unmotivated and yet he always able to drive us to succeed.
Mr. Dukes has also shown me what a capable leader looks like, always showing his enthusiasm
and efficiently delegating tasks so that everything always got done.
Out of everywhere I have been, the most important place to me would be in Habersham.
Even though Habersham might not be the most exciting place to live, this is where I have felt the
most at home. I have met some of my best friends in Habersham and I know for a fact that I
would not be the same person that I am today if we had moved somewhere else. Even the
scenery here can be beautiful and the people tend to be more welcoming and kind. By living in
Habersham, I have been given opportunities that I have relished, like joining the Band of Blue
and Key Club.
When I was in the 4th grade, I went to a 4-H summer camp on Jekyll Island. One of the
activities that we did there was participate in a short ecology lesson and hike through the salt
marshes. It was extremely hot with almost no shade and there was one word that everyone kept
using to describe the marshes: smelly. I however, was not really bothered by the smell.
Immediately, I was intrigued by this expansive and seemingly empty landscape and I wondered
how anything could live there. As our instructor explained, salt marshes are actually a hotbed for
organism growth because of the rich nutrients that they provide. This fact just really floored me.
It was astonishing to me to think about how lifeless the gray, stretching marshes looked, but
when in reality they were teeming with life. That is when I first became interested in the
ecological sciences. After taking AP Environmental Science, I realized just how fragile the
environment is and how we as a population could easily make a few small changes to create a
huge positive change.

In my free time, I love listening to all kinds of music and I have even attended several
concerts and music festivals. Even though I am trained on the flute and trombone, sometimes I
try to teach myself other instruments, like the ukulele. I also love to watch movies and television
shows. My favorite movie director is Wes Anderson and my favorite television genre is science
fiction drama, like The X-Files. My interests vary from art to the sciences, specifically biology
and ecology. I always enjoy learning about how the human body works, how the environment
affects us, and how we affect the environment.
I feel that the world today is not considerate enough, whether its to each other or to the
environment. People should feel more inclined to take it upon themselves to be kinder to others,
help out in their communities, and give to those less fortunate. If everyone in the world just
donated some of their salary, devoted some of their time, or just spread awareness of
organizations that help those in need, the world would be a much better place. The world we live
in also will not take care of itself. We need to preserve its natural resources if we expect them to
last for future generations. I would like to find a career that incorporates my love to serve and
interest in the environment to make the world a better place. An example of a job like this could
be an ecologist who specializes in human interactions with the environment. Whatever specific
career I end up pursuing, my main goal is to somehow leave the world a better place.