Passionate or direct? Cindy Dell has mastered the balance between both and is now back for round two, this time in a new role after retiring in 2023.
Cindy Dell has long been a member of the LFHS community, whether it was on the pool deck or in the classroom. Dell began her journey at LFHS as an aid in the Special Ed Department before moving on to work in the US History and English departments. She then finished her career as a co facilitator in Biology and Chemistry classes.
It was well known that Dell managed being a devoted aid and a respected Varsity Boys Swim coach with ease.
“It was difficult because I worked seven classes a day, so I didn’t have any free periods. Doing lineups, meet entries, workouts, and seasonal planning all had to be done at night and at home,” Dell said.
The responsibility of helping in the classroom and leading her swimmers at the pool came to an end for Dell after the 2022-2023 school year when she announced her retirement.
“I decided to retire for a variety of reasons. I wanted to spend more time with my family and my grandkids,” Dell said. “It created more flexibility in my life to be able to travel, to work longer at Exmoor, and do other things I loved.”
Despite the newfound freedom, Dell explained that she was not prepared for the major increase in free time.
“I knew I wanted to retire until I actually did it. I had worked from 5:45 am to 7:00 at night for 18 ½ years,” Dell said. “I have Exmoor in the summer but come the school year, I wasn’t prepared for the lack of structure.”
By filling her free time with other activities, Dell was able to create an updated schedule that did not revolve around the school day. From taking on the responsibility of babysitting her grandchildren and volunteering at Misericordia to managing and coaching at the Exmoor Country Club pool in the summer, she spread her care and focus to others beyond LFHS.
Along with the extensive free time, Dell struggled with the lack of interaction with students after leaving LFHS.
“My passion for coaching superseded all the time I sacrificed,” Dell said. “I love coaching because of the relationships with the kids, making them better than they thought they could be, good citizens, and creating their own footprints.”
Even when deciding to retire from LFHS in 2023, Dell always had the plan to come back and work as a substitute teacher, saying it would have been impossible for her to completely stop working. It is a requirement for retired faculty members to wait six months before returning to LFHS, forcing Dell to take off the 2023-2024 school year completely.
Ready to make her return, Dell simply applied to become a substitute teacher. She will begin subbing in January, but for the time being, she has a different role at the school.
“I am an administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office, subbing for Betty Magaña while she’s on maternity leave. I take care of all her responsibilities while she is away so everything is in place for the Deans and the school,” Dell said.
Dell now handles a variety of tasks in the Dean’s Office, from attendance to paperwork and anything else in between. Her new role includes organizing field trips, scheduling meetings, and providing help for LFHS members who need it.
When Mrs. Magaña returns in November, Dell will move to working as a substitute teacher, specifically in the Educational Life
Skills classrooms.
Many of Cindy’s Exmoor employees, former swimmers, and students are both happy and appreciative that Dell has returned, saying that they missed her tough love.
“Cindy was a no nonsense coach. She prioritized being able to tell whether someone was trying or not, being tough on everyone so everyone could give their all, and creating a team environment where everyone could perform their best,” junior Nate Steele said.
Miles Liebovich, a senior and long time swimmer of Dell’s, expressed his excitement at having her back in the LFHS hallways.
“I’m happy to have Cindy back because she is a fun presence at school and easy to talk to. She is always there if I need advice about my swimming or other parts of my life,” Liebovich said.
Dell’s coworkers are also ready to collaborate and spend time with her after her time away. Assistant Principal Mr. Frank Lesniak sees Dell in action every day and is grateful to have her presence back at LFHS.
“What I love about Cindy is that she is a ray of sunshine every single day. She is the happy, supportive, friendly smiling face that kids see when they walk into the dean’s office,” Lesniak said.
