06/04/2026
Meet Seattle Hill Elementary teacher Matt Lawson!
• How many years have you worked in education? I have been teaching now for 24 years. After teaching in Cle Elum right out of college, my wife and I knew we wanted to raise our family in Snohomish. So, when my daughter Kaylee was born in 1994, I ended up working at Cuz Concrete in Arlington for a lot more money than I could make teaching. Cuz was a great job: owners who treated me like family, and I learned a lot about hard work, teamwork, and the construction/production world. After nine years, the pull of being a teacher was too much, and our own family (my son Hayden was born in 1997) was at a place that it just made sense to get back into teaching. I taught two amazing years of 7th grade English Language Arts (ELA) in Phoenix, Arizona, then another year of 7th grade ELA in Mukilteo, and then I will never forget the day I got that call from Principal Paula Nelson that told me I would be coming to Seattle Hill Elementary! I have been here ever since!
• How long have you worked in the Snohomish School District and what is your role? I have been at Seattle Hill Elementary for 20 years. Teaching 6th grade has been my pride and passion every year. I thought early on that coaching in middle school was going to be a big thing for me, but there is nothing better that being in a place you love, doing a job you love. My favorite thing about teaching these incredible students is just getting them ready for middle school and bigger and better things! Life for 11- and 12-year-olds is very challenging, difficult, and oh so confusing, so being a positive role model for them is an honor and motivates me every day.
• If you had a day completely to yourself with no responsibilities, how would you spend it? Family time! Now that I am a grandpa, I cherish these days that we can just do whatever our grandson Jack wants to do! Watch him play sports, go out for lunch, hit the beach, or the mall, or the Science Center, or the zoo ... or just sit in the garage and take apart toys with a screwdriver. Anything we can do as a family is just what I love to do.
• What would others be surprised to learn about you? I have an extensive collection of Tony Gwynn baseball cards and memorabilia. Tony played for the San Diego Padres from 1982 through 2001, and he is my idol, no doubt. He is one of the greatest hitters of all time and was a tremendous role model. I currently have over 12,000 different baseball cards of Tony, along with a roomful of baseballs, bobbleheads, barbeque sauces and anything else that has Tony Gwynn on it.
• What clubs, sports, or activities were you involved in as a student? Basketball was the main sport. I played from 3rd grade all the way through high school. I worked at a golf course starting in middle school, and I got really good at golf by practicing every day. I remember the high school golf coach begging me to play for him, but I just wasn’t interested. He was also my math teacher, so I did not get the best math grades that semester.
• Who was your most memorable teacher as a child, and why? I will never forget Mr. Fakkema in 6th grade in Oak Harbor. Every time he talked to you, he made you feel like you were most important, and that anything you said was significant and so meaningful. He used to make this “that’s incredible” face with wide eyes and open mouth. It was just a simple effort on his part to make me and all the students feel loved and listened to.
• Who inspires you, and why? This is an easy one. My wife, Linnea, has inspired me every day since we met after our first dance at Central Washington University in 1987. We’ve been married for 33 years, and she is my best friend. Linnea is a 6th grade teacher in the Everett School District. How lucky am I to live with the greatest teacher ever to discuss, question, plan, compare, complain, learn, grow, cry, and celebrate with? She is always by my side, is the best mother and grandma, and we still get excited for the future together!
Note: Today marks our final Meet the District Staff Spotlight of the year! We hope you've enjoyed getting to know some of the more than 90 incredible educators and staff members who help make Snohomish School District such a special place. Thank you for following along as we celebrated the people who make a difference in our schools every day! Check out other 2025-2026 Meet Our District Staff spotlights at www.sno.wednet.edu/meetourdistrictstaff
