There is a rumor that Matthew Bounds created Fortnite. It’s not true, but before working at St. John’s he was part of the exclusive group that tested a beta version of the game.

“I played it, and I hated it,” Bounds said. “I thought it was dumb — to be fair, it was nothing like the game that it is now.” 

Bounds applied to be a Upper School Computer Science and Engineering Teacher five years ago, drawn by the School’s reputation and the chance to write computer science class curriculums from scratch. According to engineering teacher and robotics coach Franco Posa, Bounds’ unique background in engineering, computer science and robotics stood out.

“That combination was unusual and very difficult to find,” Posa said. 

Since then, Bounds has spearheaded the creation of AP Computer Science, which he teaches with Eric Gao (‘16), and the Artificial Intelligence elective. He also teaches engineering classes and, along with Posa, coaches the robotics team. One of Bounds’ favorite classes to teach is Programming Data Structures, which Bounds reinvented from a preexisting elective at St. John’s. Senior Landon Doughty is currently taking Programming Data Structures with Bounds.

“We do a lot of really interesting things, and we learn a really good variety of different data structures that are very applicable for a future in computer science,” Doughty said.

Junior Suman Muppavarapu took Programming Data Structures with Bounds as a sophomore. He especially enjoyed Bounds’ teaching style. 

“He encourages us to delve deeper by ourselves rather than just relying on him for information constantly,” Muppavarapu said. “Without him I wouldn’t be as into computer science as I am now.”

Bounds also enjoys his Artificial Intelligence elective. He started teaching the course at the beginning of 2022, a year before ChatGPT exploded. Instead of focusing on how to use AI as a tool, Bounds dissects basic algorithms and models with his students. The first semester culminates in a project in which students “breed” Pac-man through a genetic algorithm.

“I wanted to build courses that students were interested in, and a lot of students were interested in artificial intelligence,” Bounds said. “I want them to learn it, because whether we like it or not is gonna be huge.”

Bounds regularly spends his afterschool time, sometimes until 10, and four to five hours every weekend in the engineering room coaching the robotics team. According to Doughty, at the start of Bounds’ time at St. John’s, the robotics program centered around one “simple bot” — now, with the combined efforts of Bounds and Posa, the School has two fully-fledged robotics teams: OMEN and NEMO. Last year, OMEN placed 2nd at Houston Area Regionals.

“He’s been a cornerstone of all of these programs and they really just wouldn’t have been possible without him,” Doughty, who is also captain of NEMO, said. “He’s helped instill a community that is really passionate about engineering and computer science in the school.”

Bounds also developed the Graphic Arts and Game Design elective with photography teacher Scott Johnson last year, which counts as a fine arts credit. The course focuses on the design element of games and examines the psychological aspects, like color choices, which hook players in. 

“It’s so vast, the different ways I play a game and someone else plays a game, and we can get different things out of it,” Bounds said. “It’s a very expressive art form, and I love it.”

The Game Design course, and a separate Game Design Club which Bounds sponsors, is his way of connecting with his past career as a game designer. Bounds worked in the game industry for about a year before coming to St. John’s, which is how he gained access to early models of games like Fortnite. 

“I studied computer science because I wanted to become a game designer,” Bounds said. “It was my childhood dream.”

But due to a “toxic” and competitive environment, a skewed work-life balance and no pay, Bounds found himself teaching on the side — and liking it better. He chose teaching as his main profession, but still makes games for fun on the side.

“Now my childhood dream is my adult hobby,” Bounds said.

Next year, Bounds will be moving to Nashville, Tennessee to lead a K-12 curriculum of computer science and engineering at Franklin Road Academy. All of the classes he created and taught will remain at St. John’s next year. So will his legacy.

“One of our goals in the engineering space is to create an open door for students to come and try things, whether engineering students or non-engineering students, and he’s been open to having people come,” Posa said. “He influenced more than just the students in his class.”

Bounds often teaches the same students multiple times as they progress through the engineering and computer science programs during their time in Upper School.

”It’s always sad to see the seniors leave. So having to now also say goodbye to the juniors and the sophomores and the freshmen is an even sadder thing,” Bounds said. “I’m gonna miss you guys.”

This story was originally published on The Review on May 2, 2025.