At just age 25, trailblazer Ana Victoria Espino De Santiago has made history by becoming the first lawyer with Down syndrome to graduate from law school in Zacatecas, Mexico. She may be the only practicing attorney in all of Latin America with Down syndrome — and even in North America.
Espino completed her high school degree online to avoid discrimination and was accepted at Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, where the law school is ranked 25th nationwide. After some initial hurdles in breaking new ground for a person with disabilities, she was able to succeed with assistance from a support network at the school.
She credits having support from a shadow professor, her “maestra sombra,” who assisted her with navigating the rigorous academic challenges of studying law.
Espino has already announced her intention to further advance causes for people with disabilities. “I really like law for defending people with disabilities and people’s rights and defending my personal rights,” Espino explained to NTR TV in Mexico. “[To] help people with disabilities, help those who do not have a voice, because that is why I am a lawyer.”
READ: Australian woman believed to be country’s first college graduate with Down syndrome
Espino is not only a legal scholar, but also an exhibited artist. Her painting collection, entitled “Desde mi cielo” (translated “from the sky”), has been showcased at the Congress of the Union in Mexico City and other venues since 2016.
Even before graduating, Espino used her position to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities and looks forward to doing more. People with Down syndrome have not always been encouraged to pursue their dreams, but many have achieved success in whatever areas they have chosen — including an advocate who wrote his own memoir, a female golfer who competed in a college golf sports championship, a woman who became a sportscaster, and even a model who has appeared on a Glamour UK magazine cover. Persons with disabilities should be encouraged to discover their gifts, talents, and passions, and pursue those things, just like people without disabilities.
Tell President Trump, RFK, Jr., Elon, and Vivek: Stop killing America’s future.
Defund Planned Parenthood NOW!
