Meet Jennifer Matthews ’02, mathematics, owner of Growing Minds Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Catonsville. As someone who started as a chemistry major and later switched to mathematics, Matthews wants everyone to know that you can be good at math AND reading!
Q: What brought you to UMBC?
A: I first came to UMBC as a pre-med chemistry major. I quickly realized that my parents’ dreams of me being a doctor were not mine and what I really liked the most was helping my friends with their math classes. So I switched majors to become a high school math teacher.
Q: Tell us about the people who helped you grow at UMBC, and why their HOW made such a difference to you.
A: I had a lot of support at UMBC. I started working at the Alumni House where I did clerical tasks like updating the database (everything was done by hand back then!) as well as helping to staff alumni events as needed. Angela Sanford was my boss at the time and she became a dear mentor and friend to me during those years, and a few years after I graduated. She encouraged me to succeed in my classes but to also be a well-rounded person. Barbara Bourne was my first education professor and she is a lifelong friend now. She helped guide me through the interview process and first years of teaching. We still keep in touch and she is my biggest supporter! I lived on campus and was surrounded by a lot of art majors, and I helped a lot of them through their math classes. They may not know it, but they were my first students!
Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone to know about the support you find here?
A: UMBC will always welcome you back home! The campus is a beautiful representation of what diversity and intellect can do together. You will always want to recreate the environment of UMBC in your life outside of campus.
Q: Tell us about your current job. What do you like most about it?
A: I’m the owner of Growing Minds Bookstore here in Catonsville. I love the freedom of owning my own business, interacting with families, and of course, talking books!
“UMBC will always welcome you back home! The campus is a beautiful representation of what diversity and intellect can do together.
Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.
Barbara Bourne has mentored me through so many stages of life and been my biggest cheerleader, no matter what stage I am in!
Q: What’s your favorite thing about being part of Retriever Nation?
That when you meet another alum you both smile big!
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UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.
Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.
Tags: CNMS, Mathematics, Meet a Retriever
