She
was proud of her track team and proud of all of our womens' athletic teams. She would
watch us at our basketball games. She would walk over and watch us at our softball
practices. She would give us tips and remind us to wear warm-up pants after a basketball
practice. "Hey Culver", she yelled to me after one of my practices,
"where's your pants?" She knew the leg muscles didn't like the cold after a two
hour workout! She encouraged and guided. She came to our games and supported us. She did
this as a coach, a teacher, and a friend.
I
was lucky to have gone on a retreat with her this past winter. It was to learn and work on
the "ism's" we all face on a daily basis. Racism, sexism, adultism (how adults
treat kids.) "Ism's" on gay issues, and all the "isms" we have
learned. It was a special time for me to get to know Angela. We had to call her by her
first name and not by Miss Coniglio. We shared and talked. We created little clay figures
that she kept in her room until the end of the retreat. We drew on our folders with a
silver marker, and when we couldn't get the marker to work anymore, together we took it
apart until we destroyed it! We came out with silver all over our hands and laughing.
I
didn't see her as my biology teacher on this retreat, but as a regular person like me. She
dressed in jeans and had her hair pulled back in a baseball cap. This is how I like best
to remember her. She talked on the way home about coming back and starting a group to
discuss the "ism's" we have here in our school. How we could improve some of
them. I hope her dream is one that we can start, and work on here at Clyde Savannah. It
can improve people's relations with each other and the quality of life and education for
all of us.
As a
teacher, she was the best. When you entered the room, she would have a quote on the board
for us every day. Little words of wisdom and encouragement. She had a way of reaching you.
She involved you and got you motivated and excited about learning. Even kids that aren't
always into their studies worked hard for her. She had high expectations for all her
students. In her eyes, we were all a success. For her, we all wanted to succeed.
I
have a lot of memories of Miss Coniglio. I keep a journal and wrote down the 56 favorite
memories I remember about her. We shared a love of the Beatles. Some are personal, some
are silly, some are life lessons that I will always have to cherish and get me through in
my life. I'll never forget my friend, Angela Coniglio. She touched my life forever, and I
thank her for that. I thank her parents for their part in raising such a wonderful person.
She made a difference in this world.
In
closing - I found two quotes, one un-attributed and the other by Andy Warhol. I feel that
they describe what she was about, and the messages that she taught us: "Rather than
waiting for things to happen, go out and happen to things"; and "They always say
that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
