On Wednesday of last week, the last day before San Bernardino High School graduate Alexander Mattison headed for the Minnesota Vikings’ rookie camp, he returned to his alma mater one more time.
Walking into the school’s weight room on May 1, Mattison reflected on the remarkable journey from his native San Bernardino to the NFL.
“It feels good to be back in San Bernardino because I feel the love and the energy of my community,” Mattison said. “This is a new beginning for me and for my city. I want to be an ambassador. I want to help rewrite the narrative because it tends to be negative. But we have so much talent right here, so many intelligent individuals.”
Mattison is one of them.
He graduated from San Bernardino High in 2016 with a 4.6 GPA and earned the state’s prestigious Seal of Biliteracy, validating his fluency in English and Spanish. Mattison is a product of the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s award-winning Dual Immersion Program. Mattison started in the program at Hillside Elementary, later transferring to Lincoln Elementary and then continuing at Arrowview Middle School.
As far back as elementary school, Mattison knew he was destined to succeed.
“Whether it be through academics or athletics, I knew I would reach my dreams,” Mattison said. “To everyone here in San Bernardino, I would say don’t let your dreams die. Every day you wake up is a new opportunity to chase your dreams, so chase them with 110 percent energy and passion. Don’t let your opportunities go to waste.”
Mattison, a running back, is not the only SBCUSD graduate to take the first big step toward an NFL career this year.
San Gorgonio High School graduate Nate Meadors was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent. Meadors attended Thompson Elementary, Serrano Middle School, and graduated from San Gorgonio High in 2015.
Meadors and Mattison are representative of the high caliber of students in San Bernardino, said Superintendent Dr. Dale Marsden.
“These young men are proof that if you dream big, hold on to hope, and work hard, anything’s possible,” Marsden said. “Alexander and Nate are key players in our collective efforts to change the narrative about San Bernardino.”