Career Tribute . . . Gwynedd Mercy Academy's Cindy Conaway

Philadelphia High School

Sports

A Celebration of Cindy Antoni's

Teaching Career . . . And More

Photo from GMA's Twitter account | Erv Antoni and Cindy Conaway combined to teach at the high

school level for 77 years. And . . . Daughter outdid Daddy, 45-32! After working for 4 1/2 decades at her alma mater, Gwynedd Mercy

Academy, in Gwynedd Valley, an unincorporated community about halfway

between Ambler and Lansdale in Montgomery County, Cindy has stepped away

from all boards -- chalk, white and bulletin. Dad was the forever basketball coach at Pennsylvania School for the Deaf

and worked in other sports as well. He starred at Girard College and the

University of Pennsylvania in multiple sports and was named an alternate

at center halfback for the 1948 Olympic soccer team. In 1965, he coached

the first U.S. soccer team to compete in the Deaf Olympics. Cindy's husband, Don "Fris" Conaway , played varsity basketball for

Cardinal Dougherty High in the late 1960s and served as Ted Silary's high school sports sidekick -- stats, doing interviews at games -- from

the late '70 into the '80s. Cindy's brothers, Erv and Ron "Rocky" , played quarterback

for Bishop McDevitt. Son No. 1, Doug, remains the only

McDevitt player to hit a playoff home run. No.2, Don Jr., was

inducted into Neumann University's baseball HOF in 2018. No. 3, Tim ,

was part of McDevitt's first Catholic Blue football champs in '99 and

won the Ironman Award. Below, Cindy tells her story . . .and what a wonderful story it is! Thank you, Cindy, and enjoy retirement to the fullest!

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First, Cindy details her

relationship with her father . . . Dad always pushed me to do more, try as best I could, then try

harder. He always tried to give us opportunities, like golf

lessons, archery, tennis. He played golf with me more when he was

86 than when I was younger. I was once asked who my hero was. It took me 3 seconds to say my

Dad. He always stood for right over wrong. He always had a clear and

encompassing vision of the whole picture, he could read consequences

through circumstances and people. He tried his best to make people

safe and happy. He taught me to know the facts, believe in

yourself, and follow through to your goals. "Follow through" is very important in sports. He was fully invested in our efforts and activities. And I think he was

very proud of my MVP of the softball league and the Scholar Athlete

award. He was jealous I went to the Army -Navy game (smile). And when I was Captain of the Chestnut Hill College field hockey team and

we beat Penn, I think he was amazed we did it!

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And now

for Cindy's amazing, wonderful journey . . . Attending Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School was the highlight of my teen

years and I am ever so grateful to my parents for their sacrifices that

allowed me to go. Being a Mercy girl meant so many things and has meant

even more to me over the years. Academic challenges, playing sports, and

ministry activities were key points in the GMA life just as they are

today. In the 70’s we called ourselves “Big Red” and although Mount

games were really big, so many of us had friends there by the time we

were seniors, the bigger rivals were Merion, Villa, and St. Basil’s.

Today, all four of these teams spark spirit and competition. GMAHS afforded me a terrific education with other young women who were

curious, intelligent, focused, and goal-oriented. We shared talents and

inspired each other to do more, try harder, meet boys, and gain greater

achievements than we thought possible. We helped each other with

personal doubts, troubles, and tragedies. We made friends, we lost

friends, we grew and matured and learned that life can be a very

different experience for each one of us. Gwynedd did not have softball teams when I attended but Springfield

Township Recreation Department had a league for 10-17 year olds. I

played the sport for all those years and loved every strategy,

collaboration and competitive edge our team could conceive. From third

base to short stop to my favorite spot, catching (I guess that made my

dad, Erv Anton i, proud!) the game made an impact that lasted

through my life. Receiving the MVP of the league award still amazes me. I learned to play hockey when I was a freshman under Maria Lutz McHugh ,

and played varsity hockey sophomore through senior year as a fullback

when I was awarded “Defensive Player of the Year.” Developing

friendships in classes and through activities or sports was such an

enjoyable and special growing experience. Taking food and gifts on

Christmas Eve to a poor family and seeing their expressions of

gratefulness taught me to be thankful for what I had with my family. I

belonged to Student Council, Magnet, Glee Club, French Club, CSC and

Ministry, National Honor Society, World Affairs, and the Field Hockey

team, and all these brought many different personalities together and I

learned much about how different people act and think, and still work

together, enjoy similar goals and efforts, and appreciate the value of

each other as a person. Playing field hockey and being part of Student

Council and studying diligently for my classes gave me tremendous

feelings of school pride and Mercy Spirit. I was truly honored to be the

Scholar Athlete that year. Every day one participates in classes,

assemblies, in saying hello to peers and teachers in the hallway, bonds

everyone together in the life-long strength of the solid foundation that

GMA can provide academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. When I first considered teaching, I thought to follow in my mother’s

footsteps and teach French, a language I thoroughly enjoyed. But my

senior year Honors Biology teacher amazed me and challenged me to the

possibilities of that science and I changed my college major to Biology.

While deciding on going into research or teaching, I met my

husband-to-be, and decided that teaching would offer me the opportunity

to have a family and a career with time to spend with the children.

Throughout my college years and a few after, I worked and coordinated a

Springfield Township Recreation Department Camp on summer mornings. I

was involved with children aged 3-12 in sports, arts and crafts, and

music activities. Margie Koons and I coordinated a Springfield

Township softball league for Wyndmoor residents. We learned a lot about

managing teams and coaches! And of, course in both areas, I learned that

I loved working with and teaching children. It was during one college

semester I even had the chance to help out my Dad, Erwin Antoni, at the

Pennsylvania School for the Deaf, coaching the cheerleaders! That was

much more a learning experience for me than it was for the girls. They

had such fun teaching me how to sign and how not to sign! I played field hockey at Chestnut Hill College under “Shelley”

Schellenberger and was chosen captain in senior year. One of our

finest triumphs had to be over the University of Pennsylvania (both my

parents’ alma mater). In a very competitive match, I caught a hockey

ball to the chin, but stayed in the game because there were no

substitutes “in those days.” We won 3-2. My Dad played the exacta at the

track and gave me the winnings! I graduated in 1975 with a B.S. in

Biology, cum laude. I was married to my husband, Don , in June of

1975, and started teaching at GMA in September 1975. Yes, a big year! I

was a bit overwhelmed realizing that I was only three to four years

older than my senior students! Interestingly enough, from their

perspective I was a whopping 30! I am laughing harder at that now than I

did then! When I received the opportunity to teach at Gwynedd, I was amazed and

excited imagining myself teaching in the biology lab. I knew I would

feel “at home” because of my wonderful high school experience. I also

felt I could share how my Mercy Spirit was still part of me and how it

is special for all who claim it for themselves. I was eager to share my

love of biology with students and show them how fascinating the study of

living things can be and what one could actually do with this

information and the scientific process during their lifetime whether

they made it a career or not. Throughout the years I am heartened by

young women also mesmerized by the subject and its inherent

opportunities to care for and help others. So many Mercy girls have

become doctors, nurses, researchers, veterinarians, and other health

care related professionals because of the foundation given at GMAHS and

the level of curiosity piqued by teachers in the science department. I taught sophomore biology, physical science to juniors, and Honors

Biology (college level) to seniors. Administration and teachers were

wonderfully supportive as we had our children and I continued my career

as well as enjoyed the growing family. I started teaching Honors Physics

as well around 1985 and in the next couple years we wanted to develop

another science elective, which turned out to be Zoology. This course

came to be a unique and terrifically fun course to teach. From

one-celled and worm parasites to students hosting a Zoology Luncheon

each spring -- where we ate the animals we studied; don’t worry, we

saved the seafood animals for that -- it inspired many students for many

reasons. Seeing the needs of the students and the changing demands of

scientific literacy these last two decades I developed a course called

Applied Scientific Research. As a seminar course, research based, and

following current events and students’ interests, students had major

control over the topics covered, with certain teacher direction, and

learned to present information and write critically about their new

knowledge. I adapted lab activities and experiments for these topics or

the students brought their ideas for experiments and we ordered supplies

and performed them. Then curricula changed again and I worked on Anatomy

and Physiology courses for college preparatory and honors levels. When I first realized that I was teaching the daughter of a classmate or

an alumna that I taught, my first reaction is to be amazed that time had

passed to allow that to happen. Then I enjoyed recognizing the

daughter’s qualities, characteristics, even mannerisms or facial

expressions her mother showed as a student. It is great fun to hear the

daughter’s comments or the mother’s comments of what each feels or

remembers about GMA or my classes. I love to recall the faces, and even

the moments in class that remind me what an impact and responsibility I

have for these young women and what an impact they have made on my life. As department chair for a number of years I found working with members of

the science department a valuable collaborative effort, with each

teacher’s thoughts and educational experience and perspectives a

valuable asset to the goals of the science department. I have worked

with many wonderful, energetic, innovative teachers who always put the

students first. I was part of the science department that renovated the

science labs in the '80s and again in the last four years. Updated

furniture, laboratory equipment, and technologies have kept GMAHS

recognized as one of the most competitive educational institutions in

the area. One of the GMA Belief Statements is: “Learning is a life-long process.”

The science department’s mission is to develop the innate curiosity of

the young into mature critical thinking skills that will engage the

learner her whole life, reinforcing the joy, excitement and success each

new learning experience provides. Science is a process. More important

than facts is the process of unveiling facts, of learning. It is the

philosophy of the science department that learning processes are the key

to our students’ successes. Learning critical thinking skills,

discriminating fact from fiction, valid from not valid, assumption

versus inference versus evidence, drawing conclusions based on careful

observation and experimental data, analyzing information gained and

applying it to other situations or experiments or experiences are

valuable tools that will enable the young women who graduate with a

Mercy diploma to be effective and innovative. These young women enter

the science or health-related fields with skills that will set them

apart and ahead of others in those areas. And these skills provide women

with self-confidence, assertiveness, and reasoning abilities that will

serve them well no matter what career they choose. When our boys were looking at high schools, I sent a resume to La Salle

to see if they had an opening, going for the free tuition possibility. Father Rene spoke to Sr. Mary Alice and I was never

offered a position. Talked to the admissions director there about that.

He has all daughters. Same problem -- no help on tuition breaks at other

schools. When I first started teaching at GMA, I coached 7th-8th grade field

hockey (the elementary school was part of the present building) and

varsity softball for three years. I really enjoyed working with the

girls outside the classroom, and learning of their talents, enthusiasm,

determination, and goals beyond academics. Solid relationships develop

between teacher and student based on trust, effort, motivation,

competition, and love of sport. Teaching team strategies and watching

the girls work those strategies with excitement and determination and

instinctively developing their own plays was quite rewarding. My last

softball game I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with our first son, Douglas .

After Doug was born in 1978, I changed my extracurricular activities. I

coached cheerleaders for a few years – yes, GMA had great cheerleaders,

uniforms and dance routines included! (There are some alum moms who can

attest to this.) I moderated Spirit Club when cheerleaders disbanded. I

had two more sons, Donald Jr . in 1980 and Timothy in 1982,

and I took a year’s maternity leave (1982-83). Upon returning to Gwynedd

I again adjusted my schedule to be home for them. Throughout the years I

moderated Environmental Club, and helped out with CSC projects and

ministry activities. Somewhere along the way, I came to be in charge of

the lockers for the school, and maintained that job. I was a Eucharistic

Minister for liturgies and communion services. I was a Kairos leader and

one of four coordinators for the program. I accepted the duties of

graduation preparation and practice. I have also helped the Admissions

department spread the good news of Mercy Education to 8th graders

throughout the area. I have had the honor of reading applications for

the Alumnae Scholarship. I was on the Planning Committee for Middle States Accreditation in 1989

and co-Coordinator of the Accreditation for Growth Middle States process

with Sister Kathleen Boyce in 1999-2000 and remained in that

position until 2006. I worked on the Capital Campaign Steering Committee

in the late '90s. That committee gathered information from parents,

administration, teachers, students, and community, and produced the

impetus to renovate the school and begin building the new Art, Music,

Learning Commons areas and the new Performing Arts Center. Most recently

I worked on the Mission Statement Revision Committee bringing our Mercy

Heritage and message of Catherine McAuley’s vision for the education of

all young women into the future. Some of the awards I have received include: The Society of Plastics Engineers: certificate and contest award for

enlightening students and contributing to the awareness of plastics

engineering. Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science Outstanding Educator Award

(1996) MONTCO Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Educator Award (2003) Margaret Beirn Barger ‘35 Distinguished Alumna Award (2012) for my

contributions to GMAHS Delaware Valley Engineers Week “Outstanding High School Science Teacher

Award” (2017) Throughout my teaching career, Don always supported my work and

efforts at being the best I could be at my career. The boys

were always -- OK, sometimes -- really having fun with lab experiments

that we could do at home, and even help them out with science fairs. Don

is thrilled there will be no more liver stored in the freezer. (All you

need to do is add a little hydrogen peroxide and bubbles everywhere.

Tell me if you figure out the chemical reaction.) I always enjoyed

workshops and courses that enhanced my science background and kept me

abreast of scientific breakthroughs, new teaching methods and

innovations. In 1999 I started taking graduate credits and in 2004

graduated with an M.S. in Education, the same year our son Tim,

graduated from college. In May 2006 and more recently in 2018, I have had heart surgeries. In

each case I was really happy to return to teaching at Gwynedd, and

became re-energized by the students whose pensive questions, innovative

ideas, and sustained determination reminded me why I teach – to bring

young minds to new awareness, to facilitate them as they make sense of

the world and find their place in this world. The future is theirs.

Gwynedd graduates need to have the tools and know that they have the

power to make wise decisions and choices that will lead to the good of

humanity. From the first day of teaching where I could hardly stop

shaking from nervous anticipation (and that first day feeling lasted at

least three years ) to the last day when I actually felt so calm and

perfectly right in making my decision to retire, I enjoyed and

appreciated the “aha!” the “I get it now” of watching a student come to

understanding something. Teaching is not always easy and perhaps not

always interesting to some students. My Mom gave me great advice one

time which I have shared a zillion times. When students become unruly or

disruptive, become more quiet. Just wait and maybe speak very quietly to

the students right around you. Rather soon, the room quiets down trying

to find out what is going on, what are they missing. And I guess I have

a pretty good “stern” or disapproving face. Fris will tell you that too. With all the virtual teaching this past spring, Don, my husband, had the

opportunity to listen to my classes and our various interactions. He

heard how students performed at home labs, how they solved physics

problems, how they came to understand the immune system and how it

attacked the coronavirus. In fact, he said he learned more in those

three months than he did in all his years at High School (name the

school only if you need to ). In his defense, he added, I had his

attention more than his teachers did. My husband, Don, managed a trucking operation for 35 years. Our oldest

son, Doug, who worked with my husband for years, works in transportation

logistics. Doug’s high school highlight was hitting a home run in a

McDevitt High School baseball playoff game at La Salle University. That

is the only one on record! Doug married a GMA alum, Molly McGann ’96 in 2005. Molly taught in the Philadelphia public school system for

seven years and now works with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit

as a reading specialist. They have two daughters. Donald, Jr. earned a

Masters’ Degree, is a 7th - 9th grade teacher at Eisenhower Middle

School in Norristown and was married (2005) to Lacey, who is a

labor and delivery nurse at University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They

have a daughter and a son. Tim has a Masters’ Degree in Special

Education and teaches in the 8th grade, and holds an administrative

position, in Stetson Middle School, a charter school in Philadelphia. He

married his high school sweetheart, Marisa , in 2010. She taught

elementary school in Philadelphia. Now they have 4 children, two of whom

have middle names Josephine and Erwin , my parents’ names. My

family is the greatest joy of my life. It is amazing to see them so

wonderfully grown and making their own successes in life.

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