“Whenever I walk into the cafeteria, and Cindy is there, she always knows my name and has a big bubbly smile on her face”
-Zoe Flynn

It is noon and students are finishing morning classes. Some students go back to their rooms to do homework, but most students walk to the Nebraskan Student Union where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served every day stressing about classes or homework.
 Often these worries are interrupted with a bright smile and very welcoming words, “Have a great lunch!”

Cindy Heaston has worked for Chartwells since August 1998.

Loving to cook, she originally signed on as one of the evening cooks for University Residence South up until fall semester of 2015.  

However, after finding out about opening she currently has, she decided it would be best to do something with a little more variety. One of her many tasks includes welcoming people into the cafeteria and swiping their cards. While this may seem like a simple task at hand, one of the hardest parts of her job is pronouncing the student’s names, Heaston said.  

As students say thank you and proceed on to grab a bite to eat, Heaston continues to welcome each student with a friendly smile and tries her best to pronounce each student’s name with precision.   

Heaston has faced obstacles in her life that could have given her every opportunity to have a negative outlook.  She says instead she chose to see life as an opportunity to help others and give back.  

She was born premature on Oct. 30. Her parents were convinced that something was wrong with her hearing.  After going through many doctors who told her parents that nothing was wrong, their theory was confirmed.  At 5, they finally found a nose and throat doctor in Lincoln who ran a series of tests on her.  

“I remember being in a long room and sitting in a chair when they had this conversation,” said Heaston, “My mom said that the doctor started off and it sounded like the doctor was going to tell her that there was nothing wrong.”  

The doctor confirmed a hearing loss saying, “By all rights she shouldn’t be able to walk, she shouldn’t be able to talk and she shouldn’t be able to do anything except be sitting in a corner.”  

Nerve damage caused her moderate to severe hearing loss.  Not only has the nerve damage made her hard of hearing but it has also made it difficult for her to walk due to balance.  She got her first hearing aid when she was 6.
 
Even though doctors had finally figured out what was wrong with her, Heaston had a long road ahead.  She was the only student in her class with a disability, and people didn’t quite know how to react.  However, along the way she ran into a teacher that not only helped her but inspired her.

“The one teacher that I had that did help me was Mrs. Sears,” Heaston said.  “The reason Mrs. Sears was such a role model and such a big person for getting over obstacles is that she had polio when she was a young woman and was on crutches and had special braces for her legs.”  

Heaston says Mrs. Sears saw her as an equal and not as someone with a disability who needed extra attention. This did a lot for Heaston down the road.  

She went to UNK after high school but never finished her degree. She had many interests and loved learning so much that the classes she ended up taking never added up to a degree.

She says one of her biggest regrets is not finishing college. She told herself that she would eventually come back to school; however, years later, this was never accomplished.

She learned during her college years not to let anyone tear her dreams apart.  “When somebody tells you, you can’t do something, you go for it and don’t let anybody tell you, you can’t do something,” Pearson said.
   
As Heaston got older she learned to overcome these obstacles by not letting people determine her future based on the cards she was dealt.  She says she instead decided to inspire others by telling them that their dreams are possible no matter what obstacles have come their way.

“You don’t have to feel like you need to win the Nobel Prize, but maybe your actions will affect that person and they are the ones meant to win the Nobel Prize,” Heaston said

Heaston says students should not allow fear as a reason to not do something or to not push forward. She tries her best to see the good side to every situation and not only wants to be the catalyst for others, but for others to be catalysts for people they run into as well.

Even though Heaston never finished college, she still found other ways to do what she loves.  She enjoys baking and cooking with her niece and nephews when she has time.  She also loves to read whenever she can find a spare moment.  She gives back to the community by knitting for Good Samaritan Hospital.  Most importantly, she found her place up front where she can put her good heart and big smile to good use every time someone comes through her line.

Interesting Hobbies
• Loves knitting for Good Samaritan Hospital
• Enjoys baking with her family
• Likes to read in spare time