Frontier High graduate advocates for others with disabilities




NEXT ADVENTURE—Jessica Torres, 17, graduated from Fronter High School in Camarillo on Thursday. Courtesy photo

Jessica Torres wants people to notice her optimism more than her braille textbooks

The Frontier High School senior lost her vision when she was 8 years old. She turned adversity into achievement by becoming an advocate for others with disabilities.

“I hope to be remembered not only as the girl who was blind or had a disability, but as the girl who stayed positive no matter what and overcame her obstacles,” said Jessica, 17. “Disabilities don’t disable dreams.”

At age 3, Jessica was diagnosed with a rare disorder called craniofacial fibrous dysplasia, which damaged her optic nerves.

“I never knew about blindness before,” she said. “Losing my vision opened my mind to the different disabilities out there.”

Jessica, an Oxnard resident, learned how to read braille, walk with a cane and communicate through technology.

By her freshman year, Jessica had learned to adapt to a life without sight but was struggling at Rio Mesa High School.

That’s when she discovered the California School for the Blind. She spent her sophomore and junior years at the Fremont boarding school, and though she thrived with the resources there, she was told it would not be possible for her to graduate on time.

Despite her fear, she convinced her parents to let her transfer to Frontier for her fourth and final year of high school.

“I’m most proud of, in the end, doing what’s best for me and not letting anyone decide what I need to do,” Jessica said.

Transferring for a second time was not easy for Jessica.

“High school has been the hardest thing for me to get through,” she said, adding that she has done the majority of her classwork remotely. “I’ve personally dealt with people leaving me out of conversations or group projects—just feeling like the outcast.”

Other students are often reluctant to approach her when she is on campus, especially because she is always accompanied by an adult aide.

The hope of a graduation ceremony, the support of close friends and the importance of advocating for the disabled community prevented her from giving up.

Over the past year, Jessica has given speeches on her campus and at other schools about what it is like to be blind.

She makes braille birthday cards for her classmates to raise awareness about vision loss.

She has brought in her cane, braille writer and braille textbooks to help them understand her day-to-day life.

“I show them a different world—my world,” Jessica said.

In doing so, she hopes to teach them to treat others the way they want to be treated.

“People should understand that even though we look different or they see us working in a different style, we’re all the same,” she said. “We should be treated as human beings.”

After graduation, Jessica will attend Moorpark College.

Majoring in communication studies will allow her to be an advocate for those with disabilities, as she hopes to turn speaking to students into a career.

“ Being a good advocate means being open-minded and having a positive outlook on life,” Jessica said.

She wants to encourage those who share similar experiences to get involved in the community, stand up for themselves and share their stories.

“It’s crazy to see how far I’ve come,” she said. “I still have a lot of growing and learning to do, but I’m finding myself and becoming stronger in my confidence.”

And she is confident that she will help others with disabilities do the same.