Emily Rigden ’22, left, and Kassidy Walters ’22 examine a cow’s eyeball during a human anatomy and physiology lab in Farr Hall.
KASSIDY WALTERS:
Champion on the court and in life “The best thing about being back on the court and in school is that I get a daily reminder of how blessed I am to have the opportunity that I have.” KASSIDY WALTERS ’22
Most college first-year students face a big transition coming from high school, but for women’s basketball player Kassidy Walters ’22 of Greenfield, Illinois, her transition was magnified. Midway through the school year, after averaging 2.7 points in 11 games for the Red Hawks, Walters was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of a part of the immune system. “From the time I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma to my last radiation treatment, I was physically and emotionally drained,” Walters says. “I tried keeping a positive attitude during that time. While (team members) were fighting their battles on the court, they continued to cheer
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me on while I was fighting my battle with cancer.” While she was receiving treatment back home, the team kept Walters in their thoughts and prayers, displaying her number 22 jersey on the bench before and during each game. “Even though I was missing being there physically, the team did a great job Face Timing me during practice and games,” Walters says. “They never failed to make me laugh or ask how I was doing every day.” The Red Hawks finished last season with a 19-9 record and a second consecutive Midwest Conference championship,
