Member Highlight: Teacher Matt Cone

Sep 17th, 2007 8:59 AM UTC
By Katie Andrews, ONE Regional Field Organizer

ONE is currently spotlighting the work of a teacher at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, MO. His name is Matt Cone and he is taking his teaching skills to bring awareness to global disease and extreme poverty. We hope that his students, his ideas and his inspiration will encourage you to use your talents—whether they be teaching, dancing, acting, organizing, or speaking — to help end extreme poverty and global disease. Here is the third and final piece of the series. You’ve already heard about the man, now hear from the man.

-Katie Andrews, ONE Regional Organizer

For the past few years, I have been teaching about global poverty and disease in my Contemporary Issues class. The work that the students in these classes have done is beyond inspiring. It is clear that these students have created momentum at our school – and in our community – around these issues. Still, there is always more that could be done and I hope that by working ONE, we might brainstorm some ideas that will allow our school as well as other schools to aim even higher.

Again, thanks so much for your interest in our school. I know that I speak for my students when I tell you that we are humbled that you have reached out to us. I wear the ONE T-shirt & bracelet with pride.

-Matt Cone, Contemporary Issues & World Studies Teacher and ONE member

Matt Cone is not just educating his class, he is inspiring them to get active in what they believe in; he is teaching them that they can and will make a difference in the world. Not only that, but he is reaching his community, too. Cone and his students are all over their local newspapers telling their stories and making a difference. Read more about the incredible work he is doing and what it empowers his students to do:

-Ashish Premkumar, a student of Matt Cone’s is leading a women’s empowerment program in Zambia. Read more about how Matt Cone inspired him to get involved.

-Students at Rock Bridge High School talk to Muhammad Yunus for class. “Nothing in education hits everybody,” said Rock Bridge world studies teacher Matt cone. “For the kids it did hit. I think it’s very profound that they talked to a guy who said, ‘figure out what you want to do in life, put it on a poster, paint a picture of it, put it up in your room, think about it everyday, everyday shoot for something big.’”

-Senior Sarah Ginsburg found Yunus’ words comforting. “The fact that he said he had no idea what he was doing was very reassuring,” she said, “because I have no idea what I’m doing sometimes.” Read the full article from the Columbia Tribune.

-Student, Jordan Waigandt, ‘dubbed Cone’s class “life changing.”‘

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