South SFV Today

Sylvia Colt-Lacayo's journey into the world of film and media was marked by an early fascination with on-screen stories. Growing up, she enjoyed discussing films with friends and watching series like "Veronica Mars." Media provided her an escape during challenging times. However, her enthusiasm for representation took a hit when she learned that a character in "Glee," who used a wheelchair, was played by an actor who was not disabled.

“I remember feeling so heartbroken and betrayed, for no reason other than the fact that I felt seen for once as a 10-year-old watching Glee, and the power of that,” says Colt-Lacayo, who has Bethlem myopathy, a neuromuscular disorder.

Colt-Lacayo is now graduating from Stanford University with a degree in film and media studies. She is heading to Hollywood with a commitment to increasing disability representation and diversity in general. “I think people sometimes get stuck on the idea of ‘diversity for diversity’s sake,’” she said. “But I think representation matters. I also think that diverse storytelling is what is most compelling.”

Her path to Stanford was influenced by meeting Tilly Griffiths, ’22, another wheelchair user who helped her see Stanford as a viable option. Representation played a significant role in shaping Colt-Lacayo’s aspirations; growing up as a disabled Latina girl in Oakland, she struggled to envision attending college partly because she never saw adult wheelchair users in the media.

When she arrived at Stanford with her service dog Nicola, Colt-Lacayo knew she might be the first visibly disabled student many professors and peers had encountered. Her parents taught her self-advocacy skills, though she does not label herself an activist.

“Yes, there’s something that is in my DNA that makes my body different from other people’s. But really, what makes me disabled is that people treat me differently, and I do not have equal access to resources,” she said.

For her senior thesis at Stanford, Colt-Lacayo wrote a screenplay exploring how growing up with a disability affects one’s relationship with oneself and understanding of the world. She aims to become an agent for screenwriters and film directors and found this project deepened her insight into scriptwriting.

Additionally, Colt-Lacayo consulted on another script about a disabled girl planning a heist to afford college due to caregiver costs. Beyond screenwriting, she studied American Sign Language (ASL) and participated in the Stanford Shakespeare Company.

After graduation, Colt-Lacayo will start her career as an assistant at United Talent Agency (UTA), where she interned last year. She hopes sharing her story will provide others with the example she wished for during her youth.