BIO

Riley Mattson is originally from Corvallis, Oregon, and moved to Arizona during middle school. From a young age, Riley developed a love for new places, people, and cultures. The Lord has continued to grow this passion through opportunities to travel, serve, and live abroad during the summers in Africa and Italy. Riley has visited 33 countries and counting, and these experiences have deepened her faith and strengthened her desire to use education as a way to share the love of Christ and invest in the lives of students.

Riley earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Christian Education from Grand Canyon University. She began teaching 3rd grade in 2024 and has loved walking alongside her students both academically and spiritually. After serving in Arizona, Riley is excited to follow where she believes the Lord is leading her next. She is new to Tennessee, trusting God's direction and looking forward to the new opportunities He has prepared.

In her free time, Riley enjoys traveling, being active, reading, and spending time with family and friends. She loves experiencing new cultures and meeting people from around the world and hopes to continue using those experiences to enrich her teaching and ministry.

God has faithfully guided Riley’s life in ways she could never have imagined. She believes that every child is uniquely created by God and that education is an opportunity to point students to Christ each day. Riley desires to use her calling in education to help students grow both academically and spiritually while encouraging them to see their value in Christ. A verse that reminds her of God's strength and faithfulness is 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Riley is continually reminded that any good in her is found in Christ alone, and that apart from Him, we can do nothing.