“Teaching is not just what I do, it is who I am. I show up every day committed to giving students the best experience possible, helping them build skills, confidence, and the path they were meant for.“

Eric Matson teaches construction at Southeast Area Technical Skills Center (SEATECH) in Walla Walla, Washington. A veteran trades professional, he brings decades of diverse expertise as a master carpenter, cabinetmaker, general contractor, chef, and large-scale art sculptor into the classroom. Raised on a farm, Matson learned the fundamentals of hard work, accountability, and respect at an early age. Continually striving to improve, Matson is completing his National Board Certification, and his classroom excellence earned him Regional Teacher of the Year honors from the Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2024.

In his construction shop, students bypass practice assignments to engineer real, functional structures that directly serve their community. Matson’s students master blueprint reading, tool safety, rigging, and framing by building full-scale homes, concession stands, and athletic dugouts. In a signature annual tradition, over 70 students collaborate to construct massive holiday parade floats, such as a 60-foot Peter Pan pirate ship complete with 75 spotlight fixtures and integrated audio systems powered by multiple generators. Matson focuses on preparing students for careers – in addition to developing 22 core skills in tool use, safety, and construction knowledge, and earning industry certifications, they also complete resumes, mock interviews, and job searches.

 

Notes of Excellence

  • Business & Industry Alignment: Partners with Habitat for Humanity and local contractors to place second-year students into real-world jobsite internships, directly transitioning 10 to 15 students into paid trade apprenticeships annually.
  • Key Program Impact: Secured industry internships expected to lead to apprenticeships for 44% of his second-year class, placing students into electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and construction career pipelines prior to graduation.
  • Community Connection: Addresses the local affordable housing gap by mobilizing students to build four full-scale homes with Habitat for Humanity, alongside preparing to construct seven new duplexes providing 14 housing units for local families