About the Author
BIO Dr. Cynthia L. Perry
Dr. Cynthia L. Perry spent more than fifteen years on the faculty of Edgewood College’s Department of Education, becoming the first African American to earn tenure in the School of Education. She later served as Program Director of Early Childhood Education, where she oversaw curriculum development and taught courses in general education, special education, and early childhood pedagogy.
In 2001, she earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University Chicago, graduating with a 3.9/4.0 GPA. Her dissertation examined how targeted program interventions influence teachers’ effectiveness in classroom management and reading instruction for students with ADHD.
Before joining Edgewood College in 2005, Dr. Perry was a full-time faculty member in the Education Department at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL). She taught both regular and special education courses, including Reading & Language Arts, Assessment, Measurement & Evaluation, Diagnostic & Corrective Reading, Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, The Exceptional Child, Pre-Clinical Mathematics Methods, and the Supervision of Student Teachers. During her tenure, she also served as faculty sponsor for Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society.
Dr. Perry’s career seamlessly bridges classroom instruction and strategic consulting. After two years teaching middle school, she joined the Archdiocese of Chicago as a full-time educational consultant. She then partnered with the Hug-A-Book Literacy Program—a nonprofit expanding children’s and families’ educational horizons—designing and delivering literacy instruction, workshops, consultations, and assessments. As a consultant for the Stone Soup Project, Dr. Perry collaborated with primary and intermediate teachers to integrate literacy across curricula and led training on implementing the Chicago Academic Standards & Framework.
Dr. Perry has partnered with homeschooling educators to deliver professional development, design customized curricula, and implement instructional methodologies, accommodations, and reading strategies for students with special needs, additionally training teachers in standardized test administration. Rooted in a deep personal faith, she has also served as a pastor’s wife, women’s conference speaker, and denominational leader.
For more than 13 years, Dr. Perry served on the National Prayer Commission of the Baptist General Conference, traveling across the United States and overseas to coordinate prayer initiatives within local congregations and support the denomination’s missionary outreach. She also spent five years as the part-time Director of Women’s Ministries for the Great Lakes Baptist Conference and has led women’s ministry programs in three churches over the past 25 years.
Dr. Cynthia L. Perry spent more than fifteen years on the faculty of Edgewood College’s Department of Education, becoming the first African American to earn tenure in the School of Education. She went on to serve as Program Director of Early Childhood Education, where she oversaw curriculum development and taught courses in general education, special education, and early childhood pedagogy.
In 2001, she earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University Chicago, graduating with a 3.9/4.0 GPA. Her dissertation examined how targeted program interventions influence teachers’ effectiveness in classroom management and reading instruction for students with ADHD.
Before joining Edgewood College in 2005, Dr. Perry was a full-time faculty member in the Education Department at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL). She taught both regular and special education courses—spanning Reading & Language Arts; Assessment, Measurement & Evaluation; Diagnostic & Corrective Reading; Emotional & Behavioral Disorders; The Exceptional Child; Pre-Clinical Mathematics Methods; and the Supervision of Student Teachers. During her tenure, she also served as faculty sponsor for Kappa Delta Pi, the international education honor society.
Dr. Perry’s career seamlessly bridges classroom instruction and strategic consulting. After two years teaching middle school, she joined the Archdiocese of Chicago as a full-time educational consultant. She then partnered with the Hug-A-Book Literacy Program—a nonprofit expanding children’s and families’ educational horizons—designing and delivering literacy instruction, workshops, consultations, and assessments. As a consultant for the Stone Soup Project, Dr. Perry collaborated with primary and intermediate teachers to integrate literacy across curricula and led training on implementing the Chicago Academic Standards & Framework.
Dr. Perry has partnered with homeschooling educators to deliver professional development, design customized curricula, and implement instructional methodologies, accommodations, and reading strategies for students with special needs—additionally training teachers in standardized test administration. Rooted in a deep personal faith, she has also served as a pastor’s wife, women’s conference speaker, and denominational leader.
For more than 13 years, Dr. Perry served on the National Prayer Commission of the Baptist General Conference, traveling across the United States and overseas to help coordinate prayer initiatives within local congregations and support the denomination’s missionary outreach. She also spent five years as the part-time Director of Women’s Ministries for the Great Lakes Baptist Conference and has led women’s ministry programs in three churches over the past 25 years.
Dr. Perry is a gifted speaker, delivering keynote addresses and workshops at churches, women’s ministry conferences, and education forums on women’s leadership, spiritual growth, and supporting students with special needs. Alongside her husband, Dwight, she co-hosted the “Becoming One,” marriage conference. She has written articles on prayer, women’s ministry, and special education. Her Moody Press chapter “Kids in Constant Motion: How Can the Church Work More Effectively with Children with ADD/ADHD” (in Building Unity in the Church in the New Millennium) is an excellent resource for churches engaging families of children with special needs.
Raised in Chicago’s inner city and a devoted mother of four, Dr. Cynthia L. Perry has dedicated her life to equipping teachers—our greatest resource—to excel in nurturing children. Her ministry extends from local congregations to regional, national, and international platforms. Reverend Dr. James Ford, former senior pastor of Christ Bible Church in Chicago and former host of Moody Radio’s Treasured Truth, proclaims that Dr. Cynthia is “the most gifted female speaker he has ever heard.”
Dr. Perry is available to speak, consult, train, or teach—whether at a thousand-person conference or an intimate gathering—for the glory of God. To invite her to your event or learn more, please visit www.DrCynthiaPerry.com, complete the speaker request form, or purchase her new book When Failure Was My Best Friend: Escaping the Darkness and Finding the Light.
Dr. Cynthia L. Perry is a respected educator, Christian leader, and international speaker with over 15 years of experience as a faculty member in the Department of Education at Edgewood College. She was the first African American to earn tenure in the School of Education and went on to serve as Program Director of Early Childhood Education.
As a published author and founder of BreakFree Ministries, Dr. Perry empowers individuals to overcome spiritual strongholds and live a life of freedom through faith. Her research focuses on spiritual inclusion, prayer, and supporting children facing trauma and learning challenges.
With 46 years of marriage, decades in ministry leadership, and impactful work with Converge Great Lakes, she has inspired thousands of women and educators across the U.S. and abroad. Her passion for helping others walk in their God-given identity is the heart of her writing, speaking, and mentoring ministry.
