Cindy Bass holds a BS in Elementary Education and an MBA in Finance Management. She resides in Aurora, IL with her two sons who are currently attending college. Her eldest son, Alex, is a senior at the University of Missouri, while her youngest son, Lucas, is a freshman at Purdue Northwest University and is part of the track team.
Cindy Bass is a smart woman and loves her career, giving back and teaching students. Cindy has been working in the field of Elementary Education for her entire career. Her most recent position was as a teaching assistant in the SEL program, teaching English as a second language to 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students. She finds it to be the most rewarding experience she has had in her years of teaching, as her students come from all over the world, teaching her about their life experiences, cultures, and how they got to where they are now.
Unfortunately, cancer reared its ugly head into her peaceful life. Cindy’s family has been through difficult times in the past seven years, starting with her diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in October 2015. She had a double mastectomy surgery followed by six months of chemotherapy and an additional two months of radiation. A year later, she had reconstructive surgery and returned to teaching. She continued to teach for four years until her cancer metastasized to her liver. She is currently receiving chemotherapy treatment since April 2022.
Cindy believes that self-care is of utmost importance during this challenging time, and she relies on her care team, supportive friends, and cancer organizations such as the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Her youngest son Lucas introduced her to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund after attending a presentation of the EmPOWERment Tour. The EmPOWERment Tour is a way to galvanize the next generation in the fight against cancer.
Lucas Bass is the first male to become involved with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and is doing so because he felt compelled to share her bravery, her persistence, and her story. For these reasons, the Purdue Northwest Women’s Basketball team celebrated and honored Cindy at their Play4Kay game on February 23rd.
Despite her struggles, Cindy remains optimistic, strong, powerful, and grateful every day. She sees fighting cancer and taking care of her family as her life’s purpose and continues to fight her hardest every day. Cindy believes that no one is alone in this battle and encourages others to reach out for help, as it is out there.