Former custodian, Leon Matthews, spent eleven years taking care of Rolla High School.  Today, he is home, recovering from a 22 hour long surgery to remove cancer from his body.  His battle with cancer began in June.  By November it became clear that he would not be able to return to his normal work schedule at RHS, so he submitted his retirement in order to focus on regaining his strength and beating cancer.

Matthews wanted to share his story with the students, faculty, and staff of RHS who he has come to love, in part to send a message about tobacco use.  Senior Ty Brinlee and junior Daniel Galarza met with Matthews who spoke candidly about his battle.

To read a feature from the March 2010 issue of ECHO, written by former staff member Rachel Marler, go to https://www.rhsecho.com/?p=758&preview=true