JP Mathis, an associate dean at Southern Adventist University, will be leaving her job at the end of June this year. Mathis and her husband will be returning to Highland Academy, where Mathis had once served as a dean from 1994 to 2008. Mathis said she will be serving as dean once again in her new position.
Mathis’ main responsibilities at Southern are currently with the Southern Village apartments; however, she also works with Thatcher, Thatcher South and Talge halls. Her office is in Thatcher South.
In an interview with the Southern Accent, Mathis said she began working as an associate dean at Southern in 2008. However, that was not her first time working at Southern.
“I worked for the Physical Education Department full-time in 1989 and then part-time teaching racquetball, basic tumbling and helped in the custodial department [from 1990 to 1993],” Mathis said in a statement to the Accent.
After working at Southern the first time around, Mathis and her husband went to Highland Academy to work as deans. According to Mathis, God called them back to the university, which is why they eventually moved back to Southern.
Mathis stated some of her favorite experiences while working as associate dean are working with students.
“I really, really enjoy working with the RAs (resident assistants) — being a mentor for them and a prayer warrior,” she said. “I have really enjoyed my conversations with students.”
In a statement to the Accent, senior English major Katelynn Webster shared one of her encounters with Mathis.
“One experience that stands out to me is when I moved to the Village this semester,” Webster said. “I was new to the way getting into the Village worked, and especially so since it was the middle of the school year. But Dean Mathis made it easier for me. She walked me through everything that needed to be done in terms of moving out of the dorms and moving into the Village. I really appreciated how she was there if I needed her.”
Senior social work major and Village RA Seth Bermudez also said he enjoyed interacting with Mathis when the deans took Village RAs to the gym to play basketball and other sports.
“For me, personally, seeing Dean JP take time out of her day to just play sports with us and have fun means a ton,” Bermudez said. “It showed me that she really takes her job seriously and really wants to be there for her workers and students. You could see the pure joy on her face playing those games with us. Seeing that showed me that she loves her job so much, but I know she loves the residents and RAs even more.”
Mathis has mixed emotions about leaving Southern.
“Whenever you make a change … wherever you go, it’s always the unknown,” she said. “So, there’s a mixed emotion. But … I trust God with His calling, and [know] He’ll provide.”
