Antonia Vázquez did not set out to be the University of Delaware’s youngest Class of 2026 graduate. She was just satisfying an insatiable thirst for knowledge and research.

At just 18, she will graduate with a 4.0, a finance degree from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and a solid path forward toward a future in academia.

Just how did she do it? No summer vacations, coupled with a mother who inspired her to achieve anything she set her mind to.

Vázquez’s story begins in 2007. Born in North Carolina, she moved to Mexico at the age of three to live near her father’s family. In Guanajuato, a city dominated by bright, lively buildings and simple cobblestone streets, Vázquez was homeschooled by her mother, April, a lifelong teacher.

“Her role has always been someone who teaches and helps other people,” she said of her mother.

As part of her homeschooling, Vázquez attended school year-round. She studied throughout the summer and soaked up knowledge like a sponge.

At 11, the family moved back to the States, specifically, to Delaware, where her mother had enrolled in a doctoral program at UD.

“I definitely feel very proud of her,” the younger Vázquez said.

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