Among the students returning to Ohio Northern University for fall semester, few beamed brighter than Cassandra Kurek.
Nicknamed “Positive Polly” by friends and family, Cassandra is a musical theatre major, dancer, cheerleader, Delta Zeta sister, and Miss Ohio contestant. Last Christmas Eve, however, her optimism faced the ultimate test when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Throughout the spring semester, she underwent grueling chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments that depleted her strength and kept her from the activities she loved. She got through by leaning on family and friends and approaching each day with her signature positivity.
Then came the news she had been praying for: just a few weeks before classes started, tests confirmed she was officially cancer-free.
Now her remaining years at ONU stretch ahead filled with promise, she says. She is overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and joy for each day.
“I’ve always been a perfectionist who wanted everything done right. Now I realize how incredible it is to just be able to walk, to talk, to sing, and to dance. I’ve learned the value of enjoying and appreciating every moment.”
As unbelievable as it seems, Cassandra was once a shy toddler who cowered behind her mother’s legs and refused to talk to anyone but her immediate family.
Her older brothers participated in youth theatre, so at age 6, she decided to give it a try.
Being on the stage and playing different characters helped her to shed her shyness and grow in confidence. By high school, she was participating in pageants and had decided to pursue musical theatre as a career path.
She chose ONU because it was the only university that encouraged her to pursue all her interests. “I realized they wanted me to be a well-rounded person and not just a great performer and that sealed the deal for me,” she says.
Her first year was everything she’d dreamed college would be. She danced and starred in productions. She enjoyed her classes and joined a sorority. She cheered and honed her talent for stunting. She made lots of friends.
Her sophomore year started off even better. She won the Miss Northern Ohio competition which qualified her to participate in the Miss Ohio competition. She felt like she was in the best shape of her life, running three miles every morning in addition to cheering and rehearsing for ONU’s Holiday Spectacular. Then, she started to experience pain in her chest, which she at first attributed to a pulled muscle. One day, she felt a lump under her left armpit.
Weeks later, after many doctors’ visits and blood tests, she opened her email on Christmas Eve to learn she had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a blood cancer that starts in the lymphatic system. Because the cancer had spread to both sides of her body, she was Stage 4 and treatment needed to begin immediately. Her doctors recommended she take a break from college and focus on recovery.
“More than the diagnosis, I was devastated by the idea of not being able to continue my education,” she says. “I loved being in classes, I loved learning, I loved being with all my friends and I wanted to make it work.”
Reaching out to ONU professors and staff, she received an outpouring of love and support. Their willingness to accommodate all her needs assured her that she could get through the spring semester while undergoing treatment.
Beginning in January, she traveled to Columbus for treatments every other Wednesday. She underwent surgery to have a chest port installed after she developed a blood clot in her arm from the IV. The chemotherapy attacked the cancer but weakened her body. She stepped back from her favorite ativities because she didn’t have the muscle strength or stamina. She preemptively shaved off her beautiful, long blond hair so she didn’t have to see the clumps of hair in her brush every day. It was a difficult moment made better by the presence of her ONU friends and an ice cream treat afterward.
In Cassandra’s estimation, she could smile or she could cry. More often than not, she chose the former.
“I remained positive because I knew that was going to help me ten times more,” she says. “I wore fun outfits to my treatments—super sparkly and super colorful.”
Cassandra made it through the spring semester and found the energy to participate in the Miss Ohio competition in June, where she finished in the top 10 and won two scholarships for her essays. In July, she enthusiastically rang the bell after her last treatment. One month later, a PET scan revealed she was cancer-free.
Back on campus for her junior year, Cassandra is off to a great start, even being part of the 2026 Homecoming Court. She is still rebuilding her strength and prioritizing rest. But returning to her friends and favorite activities with a clean bill of health “feels like the biggest deal imaginable,” she says.
She no longer takes anything for granted, because she knows everything can change in an instant. She’s happy to just be singing, dancing, and cheering-even imperfectly.
“More than anything I am just grateful to be here,” she says. “These next two years of college, I plan to keep coming in with the positive attitude because no matter what happens, I know I’ll get through.”
