"(Christine) never thought a second about being silly or what people thought about her," said Christine's mom, Mary. "She has always been an individual."
Now, a sophomore at Adelphi University, the 19-year-old is enjoying her second year as mascot for the university's Panthers.
"She can turn a dead crowd into the liveliest group of people you've ever seen," said Michelle Giovanniello, a junior at Adelphi and Conway's best friend.
A soccer star since she was in third grade, Conway, the current goal keeper for Adelphi's girls soccer team, believes it is her life-long involvement in sports that has molded her into the eccentric person she is today. Through athletics, Conway became comfortable as a performer, showing her energy and transferring it to the crowd, encouraging them to pump up her team.
"I try and be outgoing," said Conway. "I try and make people feel comfortable in the situation they are in."
When Denee Rivera, events manager and special projects coordinator for Adelphi's athletic department, was looking to fill the mascot position, Conway's natural exuberance is what landed her the panther gig.
"She always had such spirit," said Conway's mother. "It just fits her personality."
Suiting up as the panther is the perfect way for Conway to display both her pep as well as her love of the game.
"Whenever it's a time out, I always have to dance around- you don't have to- but me, with my spirits I always want to try and get the crowd pumped up," said Conway.
As the crowd's chant, "go panther, go panther," gets louder, Conway's cartwheels get faster and her flips become higher; she feeds off of the enthusiasm of the fans.
"You need a lot of energy to do it," said Conway. "You're in a hot suit, you're always moving around and you get very little water breaks."
But "energy," according to Giovanniello, is not something Conway is lacking. "She is very eccentric," said Giovanniello. "She loves to entertain people; she likes to see people laugh and smile."
Being the panther isn't all fun and games. "The bathroom, it's not a pretty picture," said Conway. It takes two people to remove the unventilated costume and when it comes off at the end of the game it reveals an exhausted and perspiring Conway.
The mascot business has its dangers. For one thing, in the suit Conway has no peripheral vision and only sees out of the nose and mouth of the outfit. During a lacrosse game Giovanniello approached a suited Conway and threw a friendly jab at the mascot's head. Giovanniello thought her pal would be able to block the punch but given her impaired vision, Conway never saw it coming. Her headpiece did a 360 leaving Conway in a state of shock.
Signing autographs with a giant black paw isn't the easiest task, but practice makes perfect and Conway is working on mastering this skill.
The Adelphi teams and crowds aren't the only ones benefiting from Conway's excitement. As a physical education major Conway aspires to be both a teacher and coach at South Side Middle School. Having kids come up and tackle her is all in a days work, in fact she loves it.
"Seeing kids smile," said Conway, is the best part of being Adelphi's mascot.
Conway hopes to use the compassion she learned at home in the classroom.
As the oldest of 5, Conway took it upon herself to care for and entertain her younger siblings.
"She's a natural with kids," said Conway's mother. "She is almost like a second mother."
Conway's positive outlook and vivacity is something that her family is proud of.
"She's loving, she's caring, she's great company," said Conway's mother. "When she's not around she's very much missed, the house is very quiet without her."
Conway hopes to encourage her future students the same way she has encouraged her brothers and sisters.
"I've always tried to teach my siblings don't be afraid to do something if you enjoy doing it," said Conway. "It's ok to be different."
