No matter what Chivas Mathews is doing, he makes sure he’s having fun.
Chivas is always looking for new ventures to not only occupy his time, but pique his interest, too. A collection of hobbies and personal undertakings have circulated through his repertoire, leading him down paths of self-development. An early retirement from the military at just 38 years old provided him with a strong sense of self to pursue those areas.
“I have multiple passions, but a lot of my passions don't really motivate me to act on that passion. It's just something that I'm interested in. So, I'm learning there's different levels of passion,” he says.
Already instilled from a young age, he’s using a combination of his military experience and gumption for learning to guide his next steps — a venture that reflects on his ethos.
“One of the greatest values I learned in the military was learning who I am as a person, and how I want to be perceived as a person,” he says. “I want to be viewed as honest. Empathetic. Fair, but firm.”
Daring Navy Endeavors
Chivas went down a more alternative path with his 20-year career in the United States Navy.
Instead of taking the swim qualification test needed for a more traditional Navy job at the end of boot camp, Chivas went through a process called “reclassification,” where he was stationed in need-based positions within the branch — meaning that he didn’t get a choice. Therefore, his primary scope was in construction rather than sea deployment, so he never stepped foot on a ship to complete assignments.
One of the greatest values I learned in the military was learning who I am as a person, and how I want to be perceived as a personI want to be viewed as honest. Empathetic. Fair, but firm.”
As a member of the “land Navy,” he was given a role that dealt with electrical work, despite having no trade experience. This posed a whole new set of dangers. Electrical work demands strenuous tasks, like working outdoors in harsh weather conditions. He even had to ascend poles of up to 60 feet, often in the winters of north Texas, to complete his work.
“At the time, I was thinking that ‘I didn't pick this. This is not in my plan, but we'll see where it goes,’” he recalls.
While it wasn’t his ideal mission, Chivas made it work in his favor. Those skills sent him across the world for several projects, including humanitarian missions. Working alongside other tradesmen meant Chivas was stationed in areas in need of disaster relief. Along with spending time in African countries affected by crises, he also went on 11 tours across the United States, Spain, and several trips to Guam, along with an Afghanistan campaign.
At the time of his separation from active duty, Chivas was diagnosed with a heart condition, making his work as an electrician particularly difficult to continue. He shifted gears and started following new paths in his early retirement, all of which was his choosing.
A Social Upbringing
Chivas has always carried a strong momentum for doing things his own way. He had no trouble making friends in his formative years. His go-with-the-flow attitude led him to play sports throughout middle and high school, starting with baseball and football and eventually joining track and field. He even joined his school’s band, simply to hang out with his friends, and picked up the trumpet along the way.
“I've always been an extrovert. I've never had a problem making friends,” he says.
The propensity to go where the fun was didn’t translate into seeking out a secondary education right directly after high school. While he credits part of his familial background to his decision to join the Navy — his mother and grandfather both served in the military — it was the push toward finding a path after high school that set his career in motion.
As “a Southern gent through and through,” Chivas was born in Dallas, TX, and was raised in Laplace, LA. He joined the service in Gulfport, MS, after spending most of his upbringing in the company of his mother, grandmother, and three aunts. He attributes his go-getter personality to them.
“I was basically raised by all women, so I learned empathy and a sense of servitude really early on,” he says.
An Eventual Education
While a variety of topics hold Chivas’ interest, education eventually became a part of his roster, after finding the retired life “boring” in his words.
Originally, Chivas had no intention of returning to school and planned to maintain part-time jobs and explore other paths. However, when the US Department of Veterans Affairs contacted him regarding a different matter, they informed him that he had unused education benefits that he could claim.
Luckily, Chivas had a starting point. One of his primary areas of interest lies in numbers. A recreational interest in legal gambling and participation in fantasy football led to a desire to seek out additional education in those topics. He also started to study the stock market but struggled with deciding on a degree path that was appealing enough.
Today, Chivas is working toward his degree in Operations Management and Analysis at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), and he recently added an emphasis in Environmental Management and Sustainability. He notes that learning how the environment works is an area of study that sparks more than a casual interest.
“I'm in a fortunate situation where I approached college with an intentional desire to find a new passion, to find a new career,” he explains. “I finally found the passion that really motivates me: to want to do something about the preservation of our planet, our environment.”
A Bright Future — Wherever It Leads
While Chivas doesn’t have a concrete plan for his next steps following graduation, trusting the academic process is his driving force in his degree program. Others around him have offered the advice he has been following for years: just go with it.
“Almost everybody I talk to says to just pick something and do it, and then the rest of it will happen on its own,” he says. “I use the academic process for everything that it offers me, and I use it as a natural progression toward a new career.”
Beyond personal ventures, staying involved is important to Chivas. He currently sits as vice president of the UAGC Student Veteran Affairs (SVA) chapter and has also been a member of the UAGC CHAMPS Peer Mentoring Program since the start of his academic career.
“I advocate for the CHAMPS program,” he says. “There are so many resources at UAGC, and It helps adapt and assimilate to the online learning environment.”
He recommends it to others as a flexible tool to get further acquainted with the university and its operations.
“Definitely take advantage of the UAGC mentorship program,” he advises incoming students. “It works on your schedule, so it's convenient.”