Katie Matheson, a 2020 graduate of Ashe County High School, remembers vividly the first time she joined a GEAR UP college bus tour as a student. She visited UNC Greensboro, NC State and UNC Chapel Hill alongside her classmates.This was during one of the very first GEAR UP sponsored summer bus tours taking students to campuses across the state , and for Katie, the experience left a lasting impression.
“I remember the engineering buildings at NC State, especially the wolf ears outside the nuclear science building,” she said. “And Chapel Hill felt so historic. I love old buildings, so that really stuck with me.”
This summer, Katie returned for a second GEAR UP Summer Bus Tour, this time as a chaperone.
“It was exhausting, but they packed in everything,” she said. “Every campus had something that really stuck with the kids. That kind of hands-on experience means so much more than just hearing someone talk at them.”
The group toured campuses across North Carolina, including Elon, Duke, UNC Wilmington and a return to Chapel Hill and NC State.
“NC State did an incredible job again, and seeing that library was one of the coolest things ever because it reminded me of the movie Monsters, Inc. where the doors move. It was like a kid moment for me,” said Katie.
Now working as a receptionist at Ashe County High School, Katie said the tour gave her a rare opportunity to connect more deeply with students.
“I don’t have a classroom, so I usually just see them in passing,” she said. “But getting to know what they’re passionate about, what they want to study, and where they want to go. It was inspiring. It makes you want to keep pushing forward yourself.”
Katie’s own academic journey has taken a few turns since high school. She attended Meredith College during the height of the pandemic, before leaving to work on a Texas ranch. She came back to Wilkes County, completed a dental assisting program at Wilkes Community College, and later transitioned into a position as a pharmacy tech. Today she balances work at the high school with a part-time pharmacy job.
“Seeing how excited these students are to prove themselves,” Katie said. “It reminds you there’s always more to do and more to hope for.”
Katie during her campus tours as a student (right) and as a chaperone (left)
Katie Matheson
Katie Matheson