Cynthia Wold grew up in the suburb of Chicago called Oak Park. Throughout her childhood, she witnessed all the things the neighborhood’s mothers would do for the sake of rearing children in a beneficial way. They’d cook, clean, and teach, among other tasks, committing themselves to their town by developing some of its youngest inhabitants. Whether Wold took mental notes on all of this as she became older might never be known, but what should be is the devotion she now has to making her community as strong and connected as it can be.
Nowadays, Wold does it all. She’s been an artistic soul her whole life, having dabbled in various forms and actually studied art history. It’s not necessarily what she’s been chasing after for her career, though. Instead, those things she learned while in school have creatively been integrated into her life’s mission: providing genuine care to those whom society often casts aside because of their impairments. What’s brightest is that she’s never seen it that way, so she’s made it her goal to get the community actively engaged in advocating for all its members, not merely a select few.
“I want people in the area to know about kids with disabilities because I know that, together, we can teach them critical skills, and things as simple but important as how to talk effectively or how to walk confidently. My hope also is that kids see those helping them as role models. If we can unite behind these goals, I think that maybe the community might once again feel like this big group that’s dedicated to the same cause,” she said.
While she’s mostly retired — people possessing ambition like her never seem to grant themselves the luxury of settling down — Wold still works as the CEO of Kidworks in Chesterton, a pediatric therapy clinic where children with special needs are assisted. She’s served there since the time the company opened 17 years ago. On top of that, she recently spearheaded the establishment of Porter County Project Kids. The idea behind the organization’s formation comes out of her desire to bring together diverse groups of people, all with the intention of guiding them through directing different kinds of projects that help kids.
Wold, even after her days as a student, has always been a teacher of sorts. She literally was one for a span of 10 years, spending all that time at three prominent institutions: the University of Oregon, the Cleveland Institute of Art, and Maryland Institute College of Art. For artists like herself, however, it’s hard to find a way to make a steady living, so she gave up what she built up and became a chef, working a while for some of the major names in the cooking industry in cities as bubbly and big as Chicago and San Francisco.
Creation has never ceased bringing Wold pleasure. She uses her love for it to strengthen the community by getting its members involved through, for example, volunteering. She didn’t originally think she’d be given the opportunity to use her degree for the betterment of others. Sometimes in life, there are shocks such as those, but she isn’t one to back away from the waves they bring. She’s made sure to make the most of how they can positively impact what’s going on around her and her current stomping grounds.
“I believe that creativity is in everybody. It's important for us to regulate it. I feel that I've contributed to my community by showing people how to do just that, and that feels very good. Not everybody gets to have the ability to start things and do things that are useful contributions to the community. I’ve been so blessed,” she said.
Life away from her work has by no means been the smoothest sailing for Wold. Twice has she been diagnosed with cancer. In 2016, it was breast cancer, and a year or so later, it was in her blood, a rare kind of lymphoma. This past summer, she was in a horribly misfortunate car accident that’s since left her battered and bruised, yet that which has kept smiles coming to her face is what she gets to do for in-need children. No matter the state she may be in, her sights are normally set on what she can do to make others happy.
“What’s helped me to overcome the conditions I’ve been in has been the idea of helping kids. The last time I was in the ICU, I was on the phone trying to get this little girl a bicycle because she wanted to ride bikes like her sister. There I was, in bad shape, unable to breathe, but still I was so excited that I was getting to give a little girl exactly what she wished for. I had to make matters fun for myself, and stories like those definitely did help me to make it through the rough times,” she said.
Though for right now she may be physically incapable of some more complex things, when at home, Wold enjoys watching the birds and speaking with her neighbors any chance she gets. She’s usually willing to stick her head in a good book to read, and these days she’s had to continue promising her own kids she will not be forming any other non-profits for the time being. Her priority now is to become as healthy as she once was before the summer’s accident, which surely shall take patience, something of which she holds plenty.
Because of the intensity of the accident she was in at her age, Wold almost, after the initial advice of her doctors, had to be placed in a nursing home, but she persevered with strength and now is back living in Valparaiso. Being there is a total delight to her, just as it has been for as long as she can remember.
“I love Valpo. It’s like the old world and the new world together. It's got that peace, and I've lived here 21 years. It's so charming. I'm a nature freak, too, so I love hiking nearby. It's a good place to raise a family, and it's nice just to be an adult living on my own here,” she said.