As the daughter of immigrants from Guyana, Alison Matthews ’22Ed.D. was encouraged to value education from an early age, which led her to pursue a career in teaching. Since 2001, Dr. Matthews has taught business at Harborfields Central School District and currently serves as both Work-Based Learning Coordinator and Business Department Coordinator at Harborfields High School.

In her role, Dr. Matthews focuses on real-world and project-based teaching methods that help students develop skills through individual analysis and synthesis. She is responsible for placing students in internships with organizations such as Drake Media Studios in Melville, St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown, and Kumon learning center in Huntington.

Dr. Matthews also created the Career Readiness Network at Harborfields High School. This program offers four pathways recognized by the New York State Education Department for students beginning their junior year: Business and Entrepreneurship; Education and Child Development; Media Production; and Marketing.

She was recently honored as the 2025 Business Teacher of the Year by the Long Island Business Teachers’ Association.

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