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By Mandy Haggerson

For the Clemmons Courier

Growing up, Cindy Lindquist Resendes knew a childhood filled with children in her home, cousins and lots of entertainment.

“My mom watched kids of all ages in our home when I was a child, and I always loved being a helper,” Resendes said. “Whether it was feeding them, changing diapers or playing with them, it never felt like a chore. I shared her enjoyment of nurturing them, and it always made me think about wanting to be a teacher one day when I got older.”

As a child, Resendes loved to dance. Encouraged to follow her dream, she spent many days and years at In Motion Dance Studio.

“I started as a young child, and continued while at R.J. Reynolds High School,” Resendes said. “I also was a member of the marching band while I was in high school.”

For many high school seniors, deciding where to go to college was a laboring decision. Resendes knew that she wanted to go to Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone to pursue a career in teaching.

“I know a lot of my friends applied to many different schools, but I always knew in my heart that was where I wanted to go because of their stellar teaching program,” Resendes said.

While pursuing her love for teaching, Resendes continued to enjoy being a member of ASU’s dance team.

“I loved that I had an opportunity to continue that passion during my college years and enjoyed the friendships that came from it,” Resendes said.

If not dancing or studying to become a teacher, Resendes met her future husband, Cisco.

“He was planning to become a police officer offer when he graduated,” Resendes said.

With their careers decided upon, Cisco and Cindy headed back to the Winston-Salem area to start their lives together.

“I initially did my student teaching at Brunson Elementary,” explained Resendes who has dedicated over 20 years in the classroom. “Then I began teaching at Vienna Elementary and loved it immediately. The children, the teachers, the administration, they are such caring individuals. I’ve had the opportunity to teach kids in kindergarten, third and fifth grades. Now my role is as an instructional facilitator and I have enjoyed the evolution of my time with the kids who bring such joy and energy into the classroom each and every day.”

Another reason that teaching was so appealing to Resendes was that it allowed her to have a flexible schedule with her own children. Cisco and Cindy are parents to Felicity, who is a senior in high school, Cisco in eighth grade, and Valentina who is 3.

“My mom has been a huge part of my being able to still work at school and watch my kids. It’s so special that they get that time with her, and it’s allowed me to work outside of the home and follow my passion of being a teacher, too,” Resendes said. “I couldn’t have done it without her.”

While showing her children the importance of following their dreams, Resendes has recently found that can come at any time. Recently, Resendes began helping people find the colors that really bring out their best version of themselves.

“I think being a teacher really highlights my love for helping people understand and utilize colors that not only enhance their natural beauty, but also give them confidence,” Resendes said. “I had received a color analysis myself after seeing several transformations and was blown away. A friend had suggested that I get color certified as well, so that I could share the knowledge I was gaining with others. It’s not just picking out makeup, I help people find their undertones to know which metals, color palettes to ensure everything flows and harmonizes together with their clothes, too.

“Having a teenager, of course she and her friends like for me to give them recommendations. Pretty much everything looks good on them, but some colors do work better than others. Where you really see a huge difference is when people enter their 30s. It’s amazing how much younger it can make you look after doing a color analysis. And once I make the initial assessment, I encourage all of my clients to follow my Instagram account. They can continue to get support for each season by following @colorgirlcindy on Instagram which I believe is helpful.”

If not helping empower people inside a classroom or through her color analysis business, Resendes can be found going to one of her daughters’ dance classes or son’s soccer games.

“My kid’s activities are my outings,” Resendes said. “I enjoy spending my free time watching them on the field or in a dance studio because they love it. I was always encouraged to do things that brought me joy, and nothing is more rewarding than experiencing it through your children’s eyes. I also like seeing the work ethic they put into it. That will serve them well throughout life. I feel lucky that I get to be their mom.”