FOW: Mr. Matsumaru
By: Jett Goetz, Emi Levine, Safira Schiowitz
As the sun tips over the horizon in the early morning at Exeter, hours before the first class of the day, History Instructor Michael Matsumaru runs through the Exeter woods. He arrives at his classroom just in time to chat with his co-workers about his mileage that morning, what soccer matches he caught last night and what he’s excited to teach that day.
Before Exeter, Matsumaru lived in British Columbia, Canada and worked as a sports reporter for several small newspapers. “I wrote a lot about junior hockey – being it was Canada – and beyond the world of sports I also covered the local city council and school board. I loved being able to meet new people and learn about their lives,” Matsumaru said.
Soon, however, Matsumaru wanted more from his profession. “I wanted to dig into the subjects that interested me without having a project derailed by an editor who needed words to wrap around the advertisements.” This is when Matsumaru began to find his passion for teaching history. “I never really thought I would become a teacher and I am sure my teachers in high school would be shocked to hear of my intellectual journey,” Matsumaru admitted. Now, Matsumaru lives in Abbott with his wife Sabrina and two children: Nina and Takeo.
As an advisor to the Multiracial Exonian Society, Matsumaru strives to advocate for students of color in his work. A major motivation for him to become a history teacher was when he learned more about race and African American history in college. “As the son of two Canadian immigrants who settled in Vancouver, B.C. – one from Japan and the other from Holland – my ideas on race are ever-evolving and I love to hear what students are experiencing in their own journeys and to help them find common ground,” Matsumaru said.
Many students noted that Matsumaru has an empathetic, kind and welcoming personality. He also makes a point of getting to know many Abbot residents. “Matsumaru is truly is an empathetic person. He is always making sure the Abbot boys have a smile on their faces. He’s very approachable and a lot of fun to be around,” Prep Ayaan Akhtar said.
Lower Tendo Lumala, who also lives in Abbot, said similarly, “Mr. Matsumaru is the special kind of adult which you can really connect with. He is fun and playful and will joke with the kids in the dorm but at the same time he’s supportive and understanding and there for anyone in need.”
Apart from Abbott, Matsumaru has positively impacted the lives of his history students. Upper Anne Chen recalled a fond memory of Matsumaru from fall term. “Once, he assigned our class a reading centered around marine biology, and he asked us the next day whether we found it engaging. I was comfortable enough in the class environment to say honestly that I did not, and instead of interpreting it as an attack of the curriculum, he laughed it off,” Chen said.
“He tries to show history from all angles, but he understands if they don’t all hit the mark and that not everyone is interested in ten pages of historical marine biology,” Chen added.
Outside the classroom, many of Matsumaru’s fellow faculty members noted his athleticism. Science Instructor Melissa Peterson said, “He’s a fantastic soccer player and avid runner. We have this continuous joke where he’ll go out of his way to call me (not even text!) to tell me how many miles he ran that morning and then I pretend to be super excited about it by giving him increasing levels of ridiculous praise.”
Modern Language Instructor Ning Zhou agreed. “He loves to play sports with students… Mr. Matsumaru is athletic as I occasionally see him run in the woods.”
History Instructor Troy Samuels also noted Matsumaru’s love for soccer and conversation. “I mentioned I liked soccer and coaching, he mentioned the JV girls team could use a coach, and we were stuck together for almost every afternoon for the duration of the fall...those practices (both coaching soccer and our discussions of Harkness, teaching, etc.) were some of the highlights of the fall,” Samuels said.
Teachers praised Matsumaru’s enthusiastic teaching style as well. “I would say the best thing about Matsumaru is his eagerness to learn and try new things in the classroom,” History Instructor Dionna Richardson said. “He is not set into any kind of pattern or structure (nor am I), so that has made collaborating with him fun and easy.”
“The excitement he gets out of working with the students here is infectious. I remember when he started working with the Multi-Racial Exonian Society here in the fall and the excitement and joy he took out of working with students in that venue was fantastic,” Samuels added.
Besides having a strong passion for teaching, Matsumaru has many other interests. “My hobbies now mostly revolve around hanging out with my kids. I am all about having dance parties with my wife Sabrina and our two children when the weekend rolls around. Their favorite artists are Celine Dion and Stevie Wonder. I also like reading them Mo Willems books, an author they adore,” Matsumaru said. “One of my other favorite hobbies is watching boxing. I've told Sabrina that when I retire, I want to move to Vegas and work part time as a boxing writer. She pretty much hates the idea.”
When asked how to describe Matsumaru, Samuels said, “In one word, awful. In two words, the worst. In three words, a Barcelona fan (ugggh). Although I heard he is improving and coming to love Chelsea Football Club.”
“He spatchcocked a turkey for Thanksgiving. In the fall, he repeatedly told our team that he would join us for our weekly strength training, only to go eat at the food trucks instead,” Samuels added.
Richardson also shared her thoughts on his soccer team preference. “He’s a Barcelona fan, which tells me he has good judgment (unlike Mr. Samuels who is a Chelsea fan - BOO!),” she added.
Richardson concluded by emphasizing Matsumaru’s passionate and caring nature. “Mr. Matsumaru is passionate about people and about justice. He really cares about whether or not we are doing a good job at helping students to think critically and become good global citizens.”