Little Village veterinarian is helping future generations achieve their dreams

Little Village veterinarian is helping future generations achieve their dreams

Dr. Naomi Esquivel knew achieving her dream of becoming a veterinarian meant overcoming major gaps and long odds. Now that she has, she's built an organization to help veterinarians of the future.

"I still can't get over the fact that everybody calls me doctor," she said with a laugh.

When she was just 12 years old, Esquivel started her own animal rescue group in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood where she grew up.

Since graduating from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2025, she has performed surgeries at the school's teaching hospital and she has also started her general practice in the Chicago area.

But getting here wasn't always easy. The odds were against her and she knew it.

"Born and raised in Little Village the opportunities aren't always available," Esquivel said "They're pretty scarce, if I'm being honest."

Once she got to college, she realized the gap was bigger than she imagined.

"It was pretty evident to me that the higher I progressed in my education, the more, you know, apparent the disparities were between myself and my classmates," she said.

That realizatio...