Web Exclusive

An indomitable spirit

By Chris Stolarski | Photos courtesy of Brianne Schwantes

Earning a master's degree at Marquette is no small feat. For Brianne Schwantes, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Communication in May, the accomplishment is particularly remarkable.

Schwantes was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare congenital condition marked by fragile bones. She wasn't expected to live more than a day. Thirty years later, she's poised to toss her mortarboard skyward for a third time.

Originally from South Milwaukee, Wis., Schwantes graduated cum laude from The American University in Washington, D.C., in 2003. Throughout her life, though, she's been much more than your average student. Schwantes is a prolific public speaker and a nationally renowned advocate for patients' rights. She first testified before Congress at age 8. At 12, she started Little Bones, an international newsletter for children with rare diseases.

Her activism has led to other extraordinary encounters: She has met two U.S. presidents (Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush), Pope John Paul II, Oprah, Bruce Springsteen and others. Bill Clinton wrote about her in his book Giving, and Hillary Clinton featured her in the book It Takes a Village.

Schwantes jokes that she gets her courage and perspective "from old episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger and the A-team." In reality, she credits her parents, who taught her that "failure is not an option."

"My parents never let me think that I might not be able to walk again, or that a surgery might not work, or that I might not graduate from high school/college/graduate school," she says. "We never considered the negatives and kept focused on the positives."

And that's a message she shares with others, especially children living with life-threatening diseases.

"The key is to just take one problem at a time and not to care how long it takes you to do something ... just as long as you eventually accomplish your goal. I always say that I could walk from Wisconsin to D.C. if I needed to ... it might take me a few years, but I'd get there eventually."

Schwantes' educational journey isn't over yet, either. Next she plans to pursue a doctorate in communication at Marquette and hopes eventually to teach. Learn more about her story at brianneschwantes.com.

Read more web-exclusive content from Marquette Magazine.