Sophomore football player gains strategies for success
When he sits down to write a paper for any course, sophomore Lamon Mathison uses five sticky notes.
On one, he jots what he will write for the opening. Four sticky notes follow: three for the body and one for the ending.
This was one of several strategies taught to Mathison by Professor of Education Beth Clark-Thomas (“C-T” as she is known to many students), and it has proved invaluable.
"Some incoming students 'freeze' when faced with organizing ideas to write college level papers," noted Clark-Thomas. "Often modeling how to use a simple graphic organizer, like the use of large sticky notes to organize key ideas, is a concrete/visual way to make the process less abstract and more comprehensible."
It has worked for Mathison.
“C-T is amazing,” Mathison said. “She has helped me with a ton of strategies in both reading and writing that I use every day. She’s helped me with personal stuff, too.”
For Clark-Thomas, a former student athlete herself, it's just part of her calling in working with college students.
"What humbles me greatly is the reality that college athletes are essentially 'working' a full time job, spending a required minimum of often 40 hours a week engaged in some aspect of their sport/job. These young men and women also maintain the academic load of a full time student," said Clark-Thomas. "That understanding helps me remain open to reaching out to them in ways that support them reaching higher goals than just playing their sport. I am grateful for the opportunity to be an advocate for them and to support them where they are while trying to show them that God's purpose for them is far greater than they imagined."
Mathison, a Detroit native and safety for the Pioneer football team, struggled mightily with his ACT. However, football coaches saw potential in Mathison and continued to pursue him. He was admitted him on academic probation.
“The ACT test has never measured heart or hard work,” said Head Football Coach Fred Thomas. “Lamon goes to class, works so hard, and has proven himself. He does the same thing on the field – but it’s even more important off the field. His hard work is why he has been so successful in the classroom, and he will be successful after graduation as well. He does things the right way, and it’s a neat thing.”
Mathison has played basketball for most of his life, but began playing football in eighth grade. A business administration major, he would like to own a business some day, and he knew that doing well in college was something he needed to accomplish. Discovering that he had to do the readings for classes and learning to write well have helped him succeed.
“Time management has been my biggest struggle – it’s different in college than it was in high school. Football takes a lot more time, so I’ve gotten help with tutoring,” he said. “Football makes you tough – it prepares you for the real world. You have to practice on time, you face adversity, and you build relationships.”
