Ricardo Scott (Alumnus)

The road to success is full of twists and turns, hurdles and potholes. And in the case of Ricardo Scott ’18, those challenges came early in life.

Originally from Panama, Scott was born with spina bifida. Doctors told his single mother not to get too attached to her newborn because they believed he would not live more than a couple of weeks. Scott’s mother ignored the doctors’ advice and traveled to the United States in search of better medical care for her son. Today, at 24 years of age, Scott has beaten the original prognosis of his disability, enduring more than 40 surgeries along the way.

“I was always that kid who fought hard to prove someone wrong if they told me I couldn’t do something,” he said.

Growing up, Scott was not aware of all the opportunities that were available to students with disabilities. It was not until he reached his freshman year in high school that Scott met someone who would change the course of his life forever: Chris Salas.

Salas is the founder of Rolling Inspiration, a support group in San Antonio for people with spinal cord injuries and their caregivers. Scott first heard about the group through a friend and decided to check it out. After getting to know several members, he joined the group. Today, he enjoys spending time with other members, participating in activities and attending events throughout the San Antonio community.

Scott came to realize that becoming a counselor for Disability Support Services (DSS) students would be a good way for him to give back—to help people who were dealing with some of the same challenges and frustrations he had experienced growing up. So, he began researching different universities around Texas that had strong psychology programs. Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) was one of them. Scott took a tour of the university and fell in love with the burgeoning campus and its “open air.” He knew immediately that A&M-SA was exactly where he was meant to be.

This past spring, Scott graduated with his bachelor’s in psychology. He plans to enroll in A&M-SA’s master’s in counseling and guidance program after gaining some real-world work experience. 

Scott is a living testament to how a fighting spirit can take you places no one believed possible. Like so many of A&M-SA’s alumni, he is contributing his unique talents to exert a positive influence on his community.

“I find it rewarding to be able to share my personal story with others… and to be able to help them through whatever challenges they are facing,” he said.