Honoring Mr. Matanes

The Pace community gathered last Friday in the Inman Center to honor Mr. Matanes — a faculty member whose presence at the school, in one role or another, spans more than two decades. The ceremony brought together current colleagues, alumni from across the years, and members of the Matanes family.

A career across departments

What made the program meaningful was the range. Speakers came from the math department, the athletic side, and the alumni community — each with a different version of the same story: a teacher who pushed students harder than they expected to be pushed, and who somehow made it feel like the most natural thing in the world.

Several alumni traveled significant distances to attend. One came from California; two flew in from college campuses. "He's the reason I do what I do," one recent graduate said.

Tributes from current students

Current students contributed handwritten notes that were bound into a single volume and presented at the close of the ceremony. The collection ran to more than 130 pages.

A short tribute video, produced by the Knightly News multimedia team and the Yearbook staff, played mid-program. It will be uploaded to the school's archives later this fall.

What's next

Mr. Matanes will continue his work at Pace in a part-time capacity in the coming year. The school is establishing a small scholarship fund in his name; details on how alumni and families can contribute will be sent through the regular Pace communications channels.

The reception that followed the ceremony went well past its scheduled end time, with conversations spilling into the courtyard. That, more than anything, said what the evening was about.