Reading Memorial High School Senior Matthew Conway is Passionate about Arts

Matthew Conway is passionate about the Arts and hopes that, if the School Committee ever has to make budget cuts, it wouldn't be in that area.

"Reading has been fortunate that there haven't been many cuts in the past," he explained.  He believes that "a broad diverse education is the essence of the 21st Century."

Conway, 17 and a senior at Reading Memorial High School, is one of two student advisors to the School Committee. Approached last spring by RMHS Principal Elinor Freedman, he and Jared Beaulieu report on day-to-day school activities.

"We are free to chime in at any time.  The school committee members are very in tune to what goes on at the schools," he said.

Freedman said the school's social studies faculty nominated Beulieu and Conway because they are "motivated and socially responsible students who might represent our school well."

Describing her interaction with Conway and Beaulieu, Freedman said they are "fabulous examples of involved and intelligent members of our student body who want to contribute to their community. They are both thoughtful about the issues that are brought forth at the School Committee meetings and represent the student voice at RMHS very well. I thoroughly enjoy my ongoing conversations with them. "

This is not the first time Conway has been involved in a town committee.

"I was previously a full voting member of the Reading Cultural Council," he said.

He explained that interested him because he was able to review grant applications for concerts and other arts.  

Treasurer of the 160 member Drama Club, the largest club at RMHS, Conway said he has acted in 9 productions since his Freshmen year of high school.  He will play the role of Dewhurst in the musical Scarlet Pimpernel, November 13-21.

"Theatre takes up a lot of my time, roughly 20-30 hours a week," he said.  In addition, Conway is a member of two school choruses.   

With all those activities, Conway still manages to be in the top 5% of his class. A National Honor Society member and Honor student,  Conway is a recipient of the Williams College Book Award, and he been chosen to be in Century Club all four years of high school.

As to the future, Conway hasn't applied to schools yet, but is keeping his options open. He said his best subjects are History and Political Science.

Conway is the son of Lori and Christopher Conway.  He has a sister Rachel who is in the 4th grade.