Sara Matson, Senior ERP Analyst in the Information Technology (IT) department, has been named Staff of the Month for April 2024. With nearly 16 years of dedicated service at College of Western Idaho (CWI), Matson has consistently demonstrated her commitment to excellence and passion for helping others.
Matson is an integral part of the Applications team in IT, where she works closely with end users to implement Colleague functionality and integrate third-party applications with Colleague and other systems. Additionally, she supports users through Help Desk tickets, ensuring application issues are resolved efficiently and effectively.
Elizabeth Ortiz Dominguez, who nominated Matson, shared her admiration for Matson’s dedication and friendly demeanor. "Sara is such a caring and respectful individual. I cannot say how friendly she always is when handling my Help Desk tickets. She goes above and beyond to make sure that the issues are always resolved. Sara takes the time to resolve the issues as soon as she can and even takes the time to personally reach out to make sure the issue was resolved," Ortiz Dominguez said. She recounted an instance where Matson’s proactive approach resolved a longstanding issue with Perceptive Content linking. "Sara reached out to me one day and got right on top of getting it resolved as it had been sitting out there for a while. She even kept the ticket open for a few extra days to ensure it was resolved and it was not a temporary fix," she added.
Matson’s journey at CWI began in 2008 when she joined as the first Senior Accountant in the Business Office. Her experience and skills quickly led her to transition to an analyst role within IT in 2013. Reflecting on her career path, Matson shared, "My first job after graduating from college was working as an Accountant at College of Idaho. When I saw a job posting for a similar position at CWI, I was excited for an opportunity to create the Business Office department. I knew from working at College of Idaho that I valued the role of higher education in people’s lives and wanted to continue to be a part of that."
Sara holds a bachelor’s degree in Business with an emphasis on Accounting and Finance from Concordia University, Portland. Her background in accounting and her experience at CWI have provided her with a unique perspective and skill set that she applies to her current role in IT.
One of Matson’s most memorable experiences at CWI was her first day on the job. "My first day was June 30, 2008, the last day of the accounting fiscal year. My previous job also used Colleague, so I was feeling very confident on day one, but that quickly changed when I was handed a disc to install QuickBooks on my computer and was tasked with closing out the fiscal year. I had no idea how to use QuickBooks and worked very quickly to get everything imported into Colleague so that I could get back to knowing what I was doing!" she recounted. This experience highlighted Sara’s adaptability and problem-solving skills.
Matson also shared fond memories of working in the Business Office, including lively Friday afternoons filled with music, hula hoop competitions, kazoo parades, and even a puzzle room for meetings and breaks. These experiences contributed to a positive and collaborative work environment that Sara cherishes.
Outside of work, Matson enjoys a variety of hobbies, including home improvement projects, baking (especially cookies), playing tennis with her family, and riding her bike. She grew up in Boise, Idaho, and attended college in Portland, Oregon. Sara and her husband, Mike, a fourth-grade teacher, have been married for almost 20 years. They have two children and a dog named Bo, whom they adopted from a shelter a little over a year ago.
Matson’s dedication to her work and her ability to foster positive relationships with her colleagues make her a deserving recipient of Staff of the Month award for April 2024. Her commitment to helping others and her passion for her role at CWI are truly commendable. Congratulations to Sara Matson for her outstanding contributions to CWI.
