Featured Photo Via Instagram
Last year, Adhara Pérez Sánchez received her Bachelor’s Degree from Universidad
CNCI in Mexico City, Mexico. The important detail? She is only twelve years old and
autistic.
Sánchez was born in Mexico City in 2011 to a well-to-do family. An Afro-Mexican,
Sánchez’ unusual gift for knowledge and learning was quickly recognized by her parents and
school. By the time she had learned to fully read and write at the age of three, her doctor
diagnosed her in the autistic spectrum. Though bullied at school for being different, Adhara
persisted in her education and refused to bow to depression, anxiety, and isolation.
‘The teachers were not very empathetic, they told me that I wish she would finish an assignment,’ her mother, Nayeli Sánchez, told Marie Claire. ‘She began to exclude herself, she did not want to play with her classmates, she felt strange, different.
At the advice of her psychiatric therapist, Adhara enrolled at the Center for Attention
to Talent (CEDAT), an institution for intelligent and talented youth in the city. The child
prodigy finished elementary school curriculum at the age of five, middle school at six, and
high school at eight. Immediately afterwards, she was invited to study astronomy at the
University of Arizona. Barely eleven, Sánchez had become an international celebrity, a public
speaker, and an inspiration for young marginalized children everywhere.
Adhara Sánchez has already completed her bachelor’s in systems engineering from
the CNCI University in Mexico City, and is currently enrolled in a master’s program in
mathematics at the Technological University of Mexico. She has received multiple awards for
her academic accomplishments. Her IQ was recently reported at an astonishing 162, two
points higher than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawkins.
Apart from mathematics and algebraic equations, the 12-year-old girl is obsessed with
everything to do with space, and dreams of working for the NASA as an adult.
The interest in her case has generated debate over the best way to educate and
cultivate the talents of youth with exceptional mental capabilities, as schooling at regular
pace will leave their potential vastly underdeveloped.
Anthony Tilghman, is an 3x Award-winning Photojournalist, Education advocate, Mentor, and Published Author with years of experience in media, photography, marketing and branding. He is the Winner of the 2020, 2021 & 2023 Dateline award for Excellence in Local Journalism.