BELLEVILLE - Whoever said the sky's the limit has never met 23-year-old Nicole Flynn, who makes even that seem possible to surpass. 

Flynn happens to have Down syndrome, but that hasn’t stopped her from achieving her dreams.

Down syndrome or Trisomy 21, as it is also called, is a genetic condition where a person is born with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of two.

While the syndrome can be associated with physical and developmental disabilities, Flynn has proven those are not factors that stop her from fulfilling her dreams.

The recipe for success for this Quinte Secondary School Adult Education Program graduate is: five years of hard work, 30 high school credits, a valedictorian speech and one standing ovation.

In a graduation ceremony held at the school on Thursday evening, Flynn and her fellow classmates were celebrated for their academic achievements.  

Adult education coordinator for the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Julie Jarvis said she was extremely proud of this year’s graduating class.

“We had 126 students earn their Grade 12 diplomas,” she said. “We even had a 79-year-old lady earn her Grade 12 today just for her own personal satisfaction.”

As for Flynn, she said she couldn’t be happier to finally be graduating.

“This is my first time getting a diploma,” said the valedictorian. “At first I had zero and then here today I have 30.”

But the journey to the top has not always been an easy one for the Madoc local.

 “Having Down syndrome doesn’t stop me, society does,” said Flynn. “I think what society is trying to do is push people down (who have disabilities.)”

She and her family previously lived in Toronto where her mother Kathryn Primrose said things hadn’t been working out for her daughter.  

“The Toronto District School board would not allow her to earn credits because she has Down syndrome,” said Primrose. “She wasn’t even allowed to try the math exam or the literacy exam.”

Primrose said she was infuriated and upset when she found out their reasoning.

“It was demoralizing,” she said. “You get your child to this point that she can attend the school and actually be learning and then to be told, ‘well no, she’s not allowed to take those credits,’ it didn’t feel good. It felt very inhuman.”

But rather than focus on the negative, Primrose said they looked for a solution.

“We decided to do a positive route and take her where she could get her education,” she said.

Flynn’s family had been frequent visitors to the Madoc area for summer vacations before deciding to move there permanently five years ago.

“It was in the summer when she was in Madoc selling her (photography) pictures at the market that one of the teachers from the secondary school in Madoc told her about the adult education program.”

Primrose said the rest was history.

“As soon as we had the opportunity to leave Toronto we did,” she said. “We weren’t really city people and wanted to be out here.”

But graduating high school is just one of many things Flynn has accomplished in her short life.

In 2012, she won gold for Canada at the Down syndrome International Swimming competition in Italy.

She also enjoys taking photos of wildlife and riding horses. But if all that wasn’t enough, she also spends her time advocating for those with disabilities.

“I want to be a stronger advocate for other people like my friend Lauren, who has cerebral palsy,” she said. “Society says ‘no, you can’t do that because you have Down syndrome’ or ‘no, you can’t walk because you have cerebral palsy.’ Prove them wrong.”

Also in attendance at the graduation was Flynn's childhood friend Erin Corrado who drove from Toronto to celebrate her friend’s graduation.

Corrado said she had seen Flynn mature and grow over the years and was always amazed when she gave speeches – like the one she had given at the graduation.

“Sometimes I wish I was as well spoken as she is,” said Corrado. “She has a way with writing and words and she seems to contemplate every word and puts so much power behind it.”

Jarvis said that Flynn’s accomplishments were a monumental step for those with disabilities in the community.  

“I know that because of Nicole earning her Grade 12 here today, our school board is now discussing starting an entirely new program,” she said. “We’re looking at starting a program in a school where people with disabilities or Down syndrome can work towards getting credits.”

This program is in the early planning phase with the hopes of a pilot project being launched in the upcoming months.

But for parents with children with Down syndrome, Primrose said that not worrying about the future is the first step to helping them achieve their dreams.

“Just put one foot in front of the other, celebrate the small steps and keep going,” she said. “Our children who have Down syndrome can be successful, they can be what they want to be and there are people out there who will help.”

At the end of the day, Flynn said that those with disabilities should be treated with equality and should always try their best. 

“If they have Down syndrome or cerebral palsy or anything, I strongly advice them to come to school and have a quality time,” she said.

As for the new high school graduate, she will be attending Loyalist College in the fall where she has been accepted in to the community justice services program.