CC bids farewell to beloved counselor

Brendan Nordstrom ‘21

It was a rainy Monday morning in April. Allergy season was well underway and I could not stop hacking up a lung. As a nervous Eighth grader, I slowly walked into my future alma mater with my mother. We walked into an office where we were greeted with: “Hello, I’m Ms. Mather. I’ll be your counselor at CC.”

Four years later and I can confidently say that Ms. Mather has been the greatest help to me throughout high school and into college. She has had an immense impact on my and many others’ lives throughout the years.

Now, after a fulfilling and exciting 13 years at Catholic Central, Ms. Mather is ready to retire. Ms. Mather’s career path has been anything but a straight line, which is why her story of an accounting major transforming the lives of countless high school students is nothing short of incredible.

Ms. Mather’s career as a counselor started as any normal counselor’s: working as an accountant for Ford Motor Company. She worked as a CPA up until the birth of her second daughter when she sacrificed her work to become a stay-at-home mom for 11 years. Towards the tail end of her tenure as a stay-at-home mom, Ms. Mather decided to take the Dale Carnegie course, a course designed to instill confidence in its students.

This course ended up becoming a major turning point in her life.

Following her completion of the course, she decided to become an instructor. “I saw what it was doing for me at my age and what it was doing for the teenagers. I wanted to do something where I could help young people become more confident and self-assured,” Ms. Mather said.

Eventually, Ms. Mather earned her Master’s degree in counseling, and she spent two years at different middle school districts. While she originally planned to work as a middle school counselor, a full-time job became available at Detroit Catholic Central. The job opportunity piqued her interest as her brother was a CC graduate. She was offered the job, and despite her nerves of entering into high school counseling, never looked back.

So, in January of 2008, Ms. Mather started her career as a high school counselor at Catholic Central.

“It was ultimately a great decision,” she said.

When asked what the most rewarding part of her job was, Ms. Mather’s response was simply being able to see her students.

“I’m a mother of two daughters and I never had any sons, so now I have all of my boys!” she said.

One of her favorite parts of her job is being able to see the same students throughout their career at CC. “When I’m writing letters of recommendation for colleges,” Ms. Mather said, “it’s incredible to think back to the first time I met them as a freshman and seeing them grow in many ways, not just physically.”

The thing that Ms. Mather is going to miss most about Catholic Central is her department. She says that her fellow counselors are not only coworkers, but also friends outside of CC. “I’m going to miss working and the camaraderie in this department,” she said, “I love the work that I do.”

When asked why she decided to retire, Ms. Mather had a one-word answer: family. “I don’t have any family [in Michigan] and it was a year of isolation,” she said. “I need to be with family.”

Ms. Mather is excited to start her life in California since she has spent her whole life in Michigan. Her plans for the future include getting settled into her new state, taking time to relax, meeting new friends, and volunteering in work involving reading and literacy. She also hopes to enjoy some of her favorite outdoor activities, such as kayaking and bike riding. Ultimately, she said she wants to “find [her] way around.”

The impact that Ms. Mather has had on her students goes without saying. “She is one of the hardest working and most dedicated counselors at CC,” senior Andrew Memmer said. “She would always check in on students . . . and she was very patient with everyone she helped.”

Nick Nunu ’16 also weighed in on his experiences with Ms. Mather during his time at CC. “The dedication Ms. Mather delivered to her students was leagues above what someone would expect from a guidance counselor. It stemmed from her true dedication, care, and love she had for her students. This was clear in every interaction I had with her, from scheduled meetings to just passing in the hallways.” Nick has now earned his Masters of Science with honors in Biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan and is looking forward to medical school sometime in the near future.

“I know I would have not had the opportunity to achieve this if it were not for Ms. Mather,” he said. “My brothers (Mike ’18 and George ’21) and I have all been so blessed to have her as a part of our lives.”

If I had one word to describe Ms. Mather, it would be “caring.” When interviewing her, she said, “I have a memory of every student for a different reason.”

That sort of dedication to her students is unmatched. From helping me pick classes freshman year to the virtual Junior interview to the college application process, my CC experience has only been enhanced due to having Ms. Mather as a counselor.

The work she does for her students and her mentality to drop everything if one needs her help cannot be understated.

Ms. Mather’s commitment to her students will be missed, and the Catholic Central community wishes her well in her retirement.

Ms. Mather