An Interview by Abigail Kroemer
Is there anything she can’t do? Margaret Quinn is a superhero of Cornwall, finding her way into basically any organization or activity she can. Most people within the community know her name well, and if they need a leader for anything, they know who to call.
Mrs. Quinn, like many, started out her adult life not having a set plan. Jokingly, she told me she should have taken a year off before college. She had so many interests and didn’t want to decide. She started off at Franklin and Marshall college and began getting jobs in international business and computers. For a while, she worked for the World Cup and even The Olympics. Mrs. Quinn described it as “job ADHD.”
“I’m 50 and I still wonder what I’m going to be when I grow up,” she laughed.
Eventually, her path led her back to teaching. She received her teaching license and her journey in Cornwall began.
Mrs. Qunn has been living in Cornwall for 15 years with her family. With two children having gone through the Cornwall school system, her dedication is admirable. A member of the Board of Education, coach of Cornwall Little League, soccer, and softball, coordinator for the Architecture Construction and Engineering program (ACE) for team Cornwall, and member of the town committee for the 4th of July celebration, it is safe to say she has done her fair share of service. Speaking to Mrs. Quinn, I got a good look into why she is so dedicated to such a lifestyle.
Her passion for the community stems from her childhood.
“It’s just the way I was raised,” she said. “You’re supposed to give back. It’s just natural. And when you want something to change and don’t volunteer to change it, you’re part of the problem.”
Not that that’s the case for Cornwall. Mrs. Quinn volunteers just because she loves the community. Describing it as a Normann Rockwell painting, she said that Cornwall just has that comforting, homey feel.
“It’s just a great place to raise kids. They can walk to school and everybody knows everybody,” she told me. “You don’t have to worry about the neighbors or be worried about your safety.”
All through the year, Mrs. Quinn makes it her mission to help anyone she can and bring smiles to their faces. For Halloween, her house was decorated to the max and for Christmas it will be the same. She usually runs a community haunted house, and Christmas caroling in the winter, as well as putting out her iconic homemade advent calendar for anyone who passes by. With the outbreak of a pandemic, most would be discouraged from doing the things that they usually do. But not Mrs. Quinn. If anything, she went more out of her way to help others in need during this hard time.
With her kids, she took part in helping to deliver food to senior citizens, and she made it her duty to check in on her neighbors and family especially. Not only that, but for the people in her community, she made a way for kids and families to get out and do something everyone loves to do: watch movies.
“The Quinn-ema Pandemic Drive-in,” she laughed. “We started out just watching movies in the backyard and then when the pandemic hit, we decided to make it something everyone could enjoy.”
And everyone certainly did. In light of the difficult times we’re in, Mrs. Quinn advises taking it one day at a time. Stay organized and collected, and try to find the silver lining in everything you do.
During these uncertain times, we can all still be assured that our town is in good hands; Margaret Quinn, the Jack of All Trades, Master of None.
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