Penguin
PROFILES
Donny Connors TEACHER OF THE YEAR IS AT THE HEART OF STUDENT LIFE For Donny Connors, being director of student activities
of Service to Others, dances, Dorm Olympics, and Spring Fling.
work with students and help them bring their vision
“So we plan activities to make sure that there’s something
at Cushing Academy is a dream job. “I love getting to
to life,” Donny says. “It’s so rewarding to see the kids having a great time.”
“I want every student to have a great experience,” Donny says. for everyone.” Student life activities are vital to cultivating the fun, friendly campus community that is a hallmark of the Cushing experience. During the past year, Donny worked tirelessly alongside the health team
Students and faculty recently showed
and other faculty to reinvent classic
their appreciation for Donny’s work by
Cushing traditions to meet COVID
honoring him with the 2021 Reitman
safety guidelines. “I have so much
Teacher of the Year award. “This
respect for how students handled last
person represents everything Cushing
year,” Donny says. “They made the
stands for: kindness, selflessness,
best of everything and they are really
and above all else, family,” said
the stars of the year.”
Abby Boudreau ’21 when presenting the award. “He has had an impact
As the head of Ash House, Donny
on more students than he can ever
lives in the dorm with his wife,
imagine, and the students at Cushing
Jessica, plus 12-year-old Sheamus and
cannot even begin to thank him for everything he has done.”
8-year-old Declan. In addition to her
Donny has been connected to
College, Jessica is a testing coordinator
job at Mount Wachusett Community at Cushing and an active contributor
Cushing Academy for decades. His
to dorm life and weekend campus
mother, Maureen Connors, worked
activities. Shane Zarcone ’21
for 30 years as the school’s business
appreciated the tone Donny’s family
office manager, while Donny and
sets for the dorm. “Mr. Connors is so
his siblings held other positions on
personable that as soon as you meet
campus. All told, six Connors family
him, you know you can talk about
members have worked at Cushing,
anything,” Shane said. “He makes
and two brothers—Jim ’88 and Sean
sure that the dorm feels like home
’93—were students at the Academy.
and organizes activities that everyone
Donny began working at Cushing
wants to participate in.”
when he was 14 years old, first in the kitchen and maintenance department
Donny feels “blessed” to have made a
and later in the mailroom.
home on the Cushing campus. “I’m
Throughout college, Donny worked
always impressed by the work of my
during the summer sessions, and after graduation he took a job in the
colleagues and by Cushing students
student center.
themselves,” he said. “Cushing students take a lot of pride in
Donny has been in his current role since 2016, where he helps
the community.”
their school because they genuinely like each other and care for
students organize such campus events as the Tony Fisher Day
“I want every student to have a great experience so we plan activities to make sure that there’s something for everyone.”
SUMMER/FALL 2021
29
