Kerry Conway graduated from Leominster High in 2001. During her time as a Blue Devil student-athlete, she compiled quite the resume, a resume that would eventually lead to her being named to the Leominster Athletics Hall of Fame.
Conway was named the 2001 Sentinel and Enterprise Female Athlete of the Year, starring in softball, basketball, and soccer. During her high school athletic career, Conway was a nine-time Mid-Wach All-Star and a nine-time Sentinel and Enterprise All-Star. In softball, Conway was named to the Telegram Super Team twice. Conway stole over 50 bases in her career and was never caught stealing and had a career batting average of over .400.
Two decades later, Conway lives in San Diego County with her wife Tabitha and their 2.5 year-old son Pierce. Conway currently works in the Gang Prosecution Unit of the DA's Office with a caseload largely consisting of violent crimes (robbery, murder, attempt murder) and weapons cases.
“Being a Deputy DA is incredibly fulfilling,” Conway said. “My job allows me to help people - often in their darkest times, and to make the community a better, safer, place to live. As a prosecutor, I am the voice of victims who cannot speak for themselves.”
After graduating from LHS, Conway attended Dartmouth College where she majored in Government and minored in Public Policy. She also played four years of varsity softball at Dartmouth, where she played shortstop.
After graduating from college in 2005, Conway went straight to law school and graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2008. She then did her post-bar with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office and was sworn in as a Deputy District Attorney in 2009.
“I spent the first half of my career prosecuting general crimes and then spent six years in the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division prosecuting sexual assault, child molestation, and human trafficking/pimping and pandering cases,” Conway said.
Conway’s parents (Kathy and Tim) still live in Leominster, a place Conway still has fond memories of.
“I grew up in a neighborhood with a ton of kids, many of whom I would eventually go to high school with, and my younger, and perhaps smarter, brother Mike,” Conway said. “We played games and sports all day until the street lights came on and our parents would yell for us to come eat dinner. It was an ideal place to grow up.”
Conway attended St. Leo's from kindergarten through eighth grade.
“It was there that I met my lifelong best friend and point guard throughout high school, Katy Kirouac,” Conway said. “Classically, Katy would later get the assist on my 1,000th point. In junior high, my step-mother (Mary) and step-sister and step-brother (Meagan and Michael Broderick) came into my life, bringing more fun and laughter.”
Conway also said she had a wonderful high school experience.
“I felt safe at Leominster and free to be a teenager,” Conway said. “I had great friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers. I was prepared for college by the time I graduated.”
Conway said sports at LHS were an important part of her overall experience.
“In addition to being incredibly fun, sports taught me so many invaluable life lessons,” Conway said. “I developed time management skills, having to balance school work with practices, games, and travel schedules, that have carried over into my career.”
“I learned to work with all types of people, often with very different personalities and backgrounds than myself,” Conway continued. “Sports also forced me to deal with adversity such as losses, bad calls, injuries, and helped me learn to work harder, and to come back stronger and better and to persevere.”
Conway said she had two coaches who were the most influential coaches she had while at LHS.
“Coach Chris Young was my basketball coach for four years and was always there for his players,” Conway said. “We went from a less than .500 team to the regional finals in our senior year. He made practice fun and did not let us give up - he told us to believe in ourselves and we did.”
“Coach Alexis Curry was my softball coach for all four years,” Conway said. “She was a guidance counselor to many of us as well. Coach Curry was completely selfless and was there for her players and students 24/7 in any way that we needed. She was a rock for many and I will forever be grateful to her for her mentorship.”
In the classroom, Conway said Mrs. Blanchflower was the most influential teacher she had.
“She made class enjoyable,” Conway said. “She ran an orderly, but fun classroom and took student groups to Spain every few years. Our Spain trip was my first trip out of the country and was an unforgettable experience.”
Conway recalled a couple non-sports related memories from her time at LHS.
“I have fond memories of the pep rally prior to the Leominster/Fitchburg Thanksgiving game - the skits and the seniors' moms as cheerleaders,” Conway said. “Also, Principal Fleming reminding us every morning over the loudspeaker to eat fruit.”
As for advice to current LHS students, Conway said to keep your head down and do your work.
“Dream big and chase your dreams,” Conway said. “Work hard. Find a job you love and that makes you happy. And always make time for fun and laughter.”
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