The Cassandra I remember: A fighting spirit, now elected to serve

By Deandrea Hamilton

The Cassandra I remember never backed down from a fight.

She had an effervescent personality and was fiercely committed to her family—and that included her church and her friends. She deeply appreciated the people God had given her, drawing on their love and support to push through circumstances no child, no teenager, should have to face.

Today, voters in a country far from where she grew up have trusted her to champion more accessible communities and better responses to people facing mental health and developmental challenges.

It speaks volumes about what happens when we believe in our children. When we refuse to set limits on who they can become, regardless of how they started. When we recognize God’s hand on their lives and support their ability to contribute and make an impact, wherever He places them.

Cassandra Toussaint is now councilwoman-elect for Ward 1 in Avon, Indiana, after defeating Republican Doug Elmore in the November 3 election. She ran as a Democrat. (youarecurrent.com)

Of Haitian heritage, she grew up in Turks and Caicos, attending Oseta Jolly, briefly Maranatha, and then TCIPS.

Her connections remain strong: friends, family and Lady Turks Gift Shop, a boutique venture she created with her best friend, Novie, from an idea they shared as teenagers.

Her family includes her father, Eliezer Toussaint, and her brother, Stoycov Toussaint, who graduated from Indiana University. Stephane Ambroise is playing basketball in Canada. Her mother, Ertha Etienne, died when Cassandra and her siblings were children.

In Turks and Caicos, her cousins Brenda, Steven, Lendcy and Sarah Cenary are, she says, successful and passionate about helping young people and giving back to their community.  Their mother, her aunt Rose Philomene Cenary, has worked in the Islands’ hotel industry for years and holds a special place in Cassandra’s heart.

“My aunt is the glue of my family,” Cassandra said, describing her love for the family and how she has always done her best to support them all.

A registered behavior technician, Toussaint says her childhood experiences inspired her to advocate for children who feel misunderstood.

Her campaign priorities included improved roads, accessible parks and facilities, and police training to better recognize and respond to autism and intellectual disabilities.

With limited money and little preparation time, she took her campaign directly to residents, knocking on doors and connecting at community events.

“Every resident deserves to be met with understanding,” she wrote.

The young woman I remember is preparing to bring that conviction into public office.