As the assistant director of admissions, Matthias works every day to show prospective students all the possibilities that are waiting for them at Wartburg College.

"The best thing is building relationships with the students and parents when they come," Matthias said. "Getting them on campus is the most important thing because of the people and students; they make the difference."

Matthias joined the admissions staff in 1998 and has earned the praise of those who work closest to him, including director of admissions Doug Bowman.

"Brent has good communications skills and he is able to connect with people very quickly. He has an excitement and passion for the work he does," Bowman said.

Matthias comes from a very long line of family members that attended Wartburg College. His father, mother, older sister and eight other aunts and uncles all donned the orange and black.

"I was not going to Wartburg but my senior year I made an official visit and really enjoyed it," Matthias said.

He majored in communication arts in 1992 before Wartburg had the McElroy Communication Arts Center, and Players Theatre had to suffice. The radio station was very limited, and there was no Wartburg Television. Bowman said that he remembered Matthias as someone who was respected and well thought of by his peers.

After graduation, Matthias went to work for KWWL, a television station in Waterloo. After reporting the news for almost three years, he realized that fires, death and violence were not for him.

"I wanted to do something that was more suited to me. I am a glass half-full type of guy. I believe that everything in life is meant to be," said Matthias.

His next stop would be at Sea World in Texas where he was the announcer for the ski shows at the park. While in this job, he was discovered by a talent agent who offered him a job announcing a water-ski show in Australia called "The Greatest Show on H2O." He became the first non-Australian man to announce the shows during the four months he spent there.

While Matthias was in Australia, the company he was working for was sold. He thought he might be out of a job, so he began to look for something that would give him more stability. He ended up trying out for a position at a new theater being opened by Dolly Parton in Branson, Mo.

For three years he opened shows for Parton. This included riding a horse and singing, which was something Matthias had had limited experience with while at Wartburg College.

"She is more genuine than comes across on camera, and she is someone who come from a very humble background," Matthias said of Parton.

It was during this time that he began to feel a need to come back to his roots. He had married his high school sweetheart, Kari, and they had begun a family and wanted to get back to the people who meant the most to them.

His chance to come back to Wartburg began during a golf match with Bowman, who had helped Matthias to reestablish the senior gift fund while he attended Wartburg. Bowman told him there was a job opening in the admissions department and that he should apply.

"Within a week Brent was in the office and interviewing for the position," Bowman said.

His hiring had completed a long journey back to the place he truly enjoyed. He said that he feels very blessed to have the opportunities come his way.

Besides fulfilling his duties as assistant director of admissions, Matthias also does play-by-play for the Knights football team and is an assistant baseball coach.

"I have a true love and passion for Wartburg and especially sports," said Matthias.

No matter how busy he may get or what he may be doing, Matthias tries to live his life by a motto that provides him balance at all times.

"God, family, work, and hopefully in that order," Matthias said with a smile.