The aspiring actress and broadcaster has a unique summer job, as regimental sergeant major (RSM) of one of the country's largest cadet training centres, at CFB Borden's Blackdown Park.
"Sometimes I'm a very loud person, and I love the audience reaction when I'm on stage," she says. "But here, the only time I should raise my voice is on the parade square. If I have to shout, it means something is really wrong."
Matthews lives in Wasaga Beach and is a graduate of Jean Vanier Catholic High School in Collingwood.
She is a member of the Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Creemore, having joined at the age of 12.
She intends to return to school for one semester to gain an extra drama credit, and then go to Ryerson University to pursue a degree in radio broadcasting.
"I love acting, it's like an addiction. But a career in radio will provide security, and I can continue to pursue acting as a sideline."
Matthews was selected from a field of 175 cadets who have come to Blackdown Cadet Summer Training Centre to work as paid staff for the summer.
They'll help direct and instruct nearly 1,500 other cadets, who take courses ranging from basic training to wilderness survival.
When she made the short list of the top six candidates for the RSM position, Matthews had to undergo an intense drill test, and then an interview by a board of senior officers, and a representative of the Army Cadet League.
Candidates were asked to respond to proposed ethical dilemmas, and discuss their own strengths and weaknesses.
"The decision to choose her was unanimous," says the centre's commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Jim Shields. "That doesn't happen very often. She is very confident and well spoken, and I have no doubt she understands loyalty and integrity."
That may seem like heady praise for a 17-year-old, but Matthews is well aware that the heavy, brass-topped drill cane she carries is not just a symbol of authority, but of the responsibility she bears.
Among her duties are many administrative tasks, seeing that the paperwork is filled out each day and passed up to the headquarters. She reports to the centre's Canadian Forces regimental sergeant major, Bernie Irvine, and the commanding officer.
The five other candidates for the top job have been placed in senior positions with the training companies, and Matthews believes they now form an excellent leadership team.
Simply put, cadets lead each other, because leadership is the main goal of the program. Therefore, cadets like Matthews, with previous training and experience, lead and instruct the junior, and younger cadets.
"I've had my time working with younger cadets, and now I'm working with my fellow senior ranks. The experience I gain here, I can bring back to my home corps in Creemore, and pass it on before I leave. The main task is to make sure every single cadet has an enjoyable and safe time, and that they learn something useful."
The adult staff of the centre is made up of officers of the Cadet Instructor Cadre, a reserve component of the Forces, plus other Forces members and civilian instructors.
