On Sunday, May 18, 2025, Cindy Bentley received her Honorary Doctorate at UWM’s 132nd commencement.

Cindy Bentley, Executive Director of People First Wisconsin and a tireless advocate for the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is the author of Spirit of a Champion (which can be found on Amazon).

Cindy has been a participant at Creative Employment Opportunities (CEO)in Milwaukee (TransCen’s Wisconsin office) for 30 years. She also is a frequent guest speaker at Laura Owen’s Transition from School to Life course at UWM.

In 1957, Cindy was born with fetal-alcohol syndrome to a drug-addicted mother with cocaine and heroin in her system. She was given 24 hours to live but defied the odds. Cindy was placed in a foster home and at age 2, she received third degree burns at the hands of a foster mother, leaving her with scars on her arms and legs, even after nine surgeries. She was then sent to live at Southern Wisconsin Center (a state institution) where most saw little potential for this amazing self-advocate.

Today, Cindy lives by herself (with her cat), in a one-bedroom apartment in Milwaukee. With the help of a caregiver, she shops, pays bills and manages every aspect of her life. She has her “dream job” of working as the Executive Director of People First WI, where she has worked for the past 21 years, supported by a job coach through CEO and her co-workers through the WI Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.

Cindy has dedicated her life to fighting for inclusion, equity, and civil rights. As Cindy stated after receiving her honorary doctorate, “All my work over 21 years has paid off!”

“I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with Cindy through CEO for over 30 years. Her life is a powerful testament to resilience, perseverance, and unwavering strength. Cindy embodies what it means to live with compassion, courage, and purpose. No one is more deserving of this honorary doctorate than Cindy Bentley. She is truly one of my heroes, and I’m honored to have called her a friend for the past three decades. ”

– Laura Owens, President, TransCen Inc.

Watch the full news segment and read the article to learn more about Cindy’s powerful story: https://loom.ly/fNTc5gw