San Antonio – Kimberly Rubio graduated from St. Mary’s University Saturday Magna Cum Laude with a 3.81 GPA and a Bachelor of Arts in History.
“I’m proud of myself and I feel like Lexi would be proud of me,” Kimberly said.
She is referring to her 10-year-old daughter, Lexi Rubio, whose life was taken in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary.
Kimberly was just a semester away from graduating when the tragedy happened back on May 24.
On Saturday, she used her strength and Lexi’s memory as a source of power not only to walk across the stage, but to advocate for an assault weapons ban.
“I don’t think the average citizen should have access to a weapon that ruin peoples’ lives,” Kimberly said.
As she navigates a new chapter, she acknowledges the pain it comes with. It’s part of the reason why her husband is by her side every step of the way.
“I am very proud of you, of course. I know Lexi is looking down on you. She’s happy. She’s here. I love you,” Kimberly’s husband, Felix Rubio said, while looking into his wife’s eyes.
Kimberly is determined to keep moving forward while honoring the memory of her daughter and all 21 victims of the Robb Elementary shooting along the way.
“Our plans were to wait for me to graduate and then to leave Uvalde. I wasn’t fast enough. Now that we buried our daughter there, we’ll stay with her. We’re readjusting and figuring out what’s next,” she said.
A week after the tragedy in Uvalde, St. Mary’s University created the Lexi Rubio Memorial Law Scholarship Fund.
Kimberly said Lexi wanted to be a lawyer and that it was the perfect way for the university to keep her memory alive.