Olivia Viroslav graduated from Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio, Texas, in the top third of her class, maintaining an A average throughout all four years. Every semester, she earned a place on the A/B Honor Roll—proof of her dedication, discipline, and hard work.
Her high school years were filled with leadership and service. At Temple Beth-El, Olivia was deeply involved in her youth group, serving as Vice President of Service and Vice President of Ritual and Observance, helping shape programs that brought her community together. In her senior year, she was honored as a Symphony Belle. She also sang in choir, participated in Interact Club, and spent four summers at Wellspring Camp, where she was selected to serve as a mentor for two years. In addition, she was chosen as a group leader for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, reflecting her natural ability to uplift and guide others.
At 18, Olivia began college at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio as a freshman on a $10,000-per-year academic scholarship. She majors in Rehabilitative Science, hoping one day to become a physical therapist and help children recover from traumatic injuries. Outside of school, she teaches Zumba in her community and hopes to continue teaching as she builds her future career.
In 2015, Olivia was invited to serve as the keynote speaker at the FPWR Research Conference: It Starts With Us. In her speech—now shared alongside this story—Olivia opened up about the realities of living with Prader-Willi syndrome, and the daily, moment-by-moment choices that shape her life.
“It’s about making choices in any situation,” she explained. “Like ordering a salad without croutons and berries for dessert… instead of fried chicken with mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and a ten-layer cake with buttercream icing.”
She described PWS as a “monster” that her closest friends know about—so they understand what she’s going through and don’t judge her based on what she eats. She talked about the constant decisions that require strength: choosing the right song for a workout, motivating herself to reach 10,000 steps a day on her Fitbit, staying on top of schoolwork, and paying attention to when the “monster” tries to influence her choices.
“The hardest thing about having PWS,” Olivia said, “is not knowing when my monster wants to come out and attack me, and cause me to make the wrong decisions—especially when I don’t have the support system I need in that moment.”
Grounded in purpose and resilience, Olivia shared one of her favorite quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt:
“In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves… And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility.”
Olivia lives these words every day—not perfectly, but bravely, honestly, and with a profound awareness of the power of choice.
She ended her keynote with a message she hoped every parent would carry with them:
“The only thing I want all of you to take away from this is that every one of your children has a good future, just like me—no matter how different we are.”
Click below to watch part of Olivia's keynote speech at the 2015 FPWR Research Conference: It Starts with Us.
