Photo courtesy of Kim Matchen
Kim Matchen is the secretary at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge.
Kim Matchen is getting ready to start her 26th and last year as a secretary with Vestavia Hills City Schools. She worked 19 years at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central and is starting her seventh year at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge.
Q: How many principals have you worked with?
A: I just had one principal at Central — Marian Humphries — and then I’ve had two here — Ty Arendall and Lorie Belskie.
Q: So you’re retiring at the end of this next year? What do you plan to do in your retirement?
A: I love to volunteer at Children’s [of Alabama] Hospital and the humane society as well. I love animals. I just want to donate some of my time there. And I’m the caregiver for my husband [who has multiple sclerosis], so that takes up a good amount of time.
Q: What has been the best part of being a school secretary?
A: People that I’ve met over the years. The kids, the parents. It’s a wonderful community to work in. And my coworkers. They’re my other family.
Q: What’s something else about the job you particularly enjoy?
A: I just feel like God calls you to do things, and this just kind of is one of the things he called me to do — be of service here and help people and guide them. It’s kind of one of these catch all area. There’s a little bit of everything that you do.
Q: Spit out a couple of things people may not think about that you end up doing.
A: It could be a number of things. I greet people. I do actually cover classes when needed. I’ve also covered in the lunchroom when they’ve been short. I direct carpool every day in the afternoon.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: I’m down a little bit because we lost a couple. I have one dog named Jack. I have another one which is actually my son’s dog, but it’s my dog now. [Wrenly] I have two cats [Maddie and Leo], and then I have a granddog that comes to visit at G’Momma’s day care every day because they live in an apartment, so he comes to play in my yard during the day. His name is Flash.
Q: At what humane society would you volunteer?
A: Probably the [Greater] Birmingham Humane Society. All of mine are rescues. We always go there and rescue there.
Q: When you have free time, what’s something else you like to do?
A: I love to exercise and walk and be outside, especially in the summer when it’s nice and you can walk outside. I do spend time with my family — go on trips when I can.
Q: Where do you like to travel?
A: The beach first, and we love Disney.
Q: How many times have you been to Disney?
A: Recently, probably three times, but we’re planning on going this Christmas. We like to go at Christmas time. It’s best — not as hot.
Q: What’s the best thing at Disney for you?
A: Flight of Passage. That’s the ride from “Avatar.” You get on it, and it just makes you feel like you’re one of the avatars flying.
Q: What beach do you like to go to?
A: We like to go to Panama City or Destin, and we go to Gulf Shores a lot as well.
Q: What is your favorite restaurant?
A: Probably Bistro V.
Q: What do you like there?
A: Shrimp and grits. We’re also an Ashley Mac’s fan, and a Café Iz fan. We do a lot of that here in the office for birthday celebrations.
