About Me
Hi! My name is Asher Matthews and I’m a student at Penncrest High School in Media, Pa., graduating in the spring of 2027. In the 2025–26 school year, I took A.P. Research, completing the courses needed to qualify for the A.P. Capstone Diploma.
Ever since I was a kid, politics has been an interest and passion of mine, and I knew — even before I came to school this past fall — that I’d want to research something politics-related.
At Penncrest, I’m the founder and president of our school’s chapter of the High School Democrats of America, a captain of our varsity tennis team, and a member and officer of several other clubs and societies.
About My Mentor
I met my mentor, Dr. Robinson Woodward-Burns in July of 2025 at the National Student Leadership Conference on the campus of Georgetown University.
Dr. Woodward-Burns earned his Ph.D. in political science at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. Currently, he is an associate professor of political science at Howard University, where he is the director of graduate studies in the political science department.
He published his first book in 2021, and has research and essays published in several journals, newspapers, and magazines.
Dr. Woodward-Burns was greatly helpful in the design of my research, ensuring that my study would accurately answer the question it aimed to.