BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Frontier High School student in Bakersfield is showing that determination and perseverance can overcome even the toughest challenges — including vision loss.
Fifteen-year-old Sarah Mendizabal describes herself as “partially blind.” She uses a cane at school and when she’s out in public, a change she’s had to adapt to over the past few years.
“When I was 12, I got a brain tumor, which caused me to become visually impaired,” she said.
Since then, she has undergone three brain surgeries.
“You tell yourself, ‘Why? Why?’ but she’s battled through it,” said her father, Alejandro Mendizabal. “She’s adjusted very well, and she keeps adjusting.”
Sarah says losing most of her vision has made her stronger.
“I’ve become more determined, more motivated to do academics and do the stuff I want to pursue,” she said.
Her determination shows. She graduated valedictorian of her eighth-grade class and has been selected to compete once again in the Braille Institute’s Cane Quest competition in Los Angeles — a contest she won last year.
“I honestly thought I was doing really bad,” she said. “I have a tendency to doubt myself a lot, and I know I have to work on how to treat myself better, but it was a very big shock when I learned I won first place.”
Her success hasn’t surprised her parents.
“She’s a great kid,” her father said. “She is trying to be better at everything she does, even with her disability.”
Sarah and her father ask others not to make assumptions about people with visual impairments and to treat them like anyone else. They hope her story serves as a reminder to never underestimate someone who may appear different.
“Just because something happens and something maybe very tragic occurs, you shouldn't give up on your goals,” Sarah said.
Sarah will return to the Braille Institute’s Cane Quest competition on Oct. 11.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
