Hi, my name is Jacob Mattes
I am currently a student at Thompson Rivers University pursuing my Bachelor of Education. I graduated from Norkam Secondary with Honours after also attending Westsyde Secondary and Penticton High. I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree at Simon Fraser University, where I majored in Criminology and minored in Sociology. While attending Simon Fraser, I narrowed my scope of focus to study restorative justice. After researching this concept for a few years, I saw a direct link in how it could be used in schools and in the community. I come from a family of educators, so it felt natural to follow in the same career path. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner as I am pursuing my second Bachelor degree while also considering more education in my future. I have aspirations to become a teacher while pursuing a Masters of Counselling.
Outside of the educational scope, I have been involved with coaching Midget Tier 1 and Tier 2 hockey for the past four years. Prior to that, I engaged in private goalie sessions along with working for various goalie coaching clinics. I am passionate about the sport that I grew up playing. My personal career included playing AAA minor hockey along with four consecutive years in junior hockey. Some of my accolades from junior hockey include winning Most Valuable Player (2013 & 2014) and the Fan Favourite Award (2013). I am a proud Penticton Lakers and Chase Heat Alumni, and enjoyed every second of billeting and playing there. When living in Penticton, I was a part of a hockey academy there, and that was when I realized how much I would love to teach and stay involved in hockey. Throughout my junior hockey experience, I also enjoyed brief stints with the BCHL (Merritt, Salmon Arm) and the WHL (Kamloops, Prince George). I intend to continue to be involved with a local minor hockey association moving forward, and would be especially blessed to work within a school that supports a hockey program/academy. This would be a dream come true!
As for personal interests, I would consider myself as an outdoorsy/sporty person. I love to hike, and every summer I get together with a group of friends for a multi-day hike to see more of what the land has to offer. I also like to go camping whenever possible throughout the summers. In terms of sports, I’ll play just about anything! I engage in soccer, ball hockey, slow pitch, and spikeball in the summers, and I play drop-in hockey during the winters. In terms of other interests, I like to take my dog, Ranger, for walks, play video games, and wine tour in the Okanagan. I feel very fortunate and privileged to call British Columbia my home, so I try to take advantage of that every chance I get.