“Through all my years of teaching, I have never encountered a student as dedicated to his studies,” one former teacher said of his work ethic. Another was noted saying that he is “...one of the best tutors that I have had so far in my classroom.”
After emigrating to the U.S. from Mexico as a young child, the senior majoring in Psychology was presented with the challenge of learning a new language that was very different from his native Spanish. However, that did not stop him from excelling in high school and enrolling at San Diego State University after graduation.
Castro worked hard to get to this point, having worked two jobs to pay his way through college as both a cashier and an English tutor. Through both his studies and work ethic, Castro is utilizing his time at SDSU to accomplish a dream he has held for a long time: to enter the Catholic priesthood.
“I did not encounter one class that I did not enjoy,” Castro says of his coursework at SDSU. “I view every class as an opportunity to be prepared for my future role as a priest in a diversifying world that would require me to be knowledgeable in different subjects.”
But Castro points out that the skill that particularly defines him is simply his compassion. He maintains the ability to listen to people’s life stories and problems, and wants to be with others during their happiest – as well as their saddest – moments. Through these skills he states that he would like to one day practice as a psychiatrist. Through his Psychology degree and minor in Counseling and Social Change - a minor offered through the College of Education’s Counseling and School Psychology Department - he has been given every tool necessary to not only accomplish his goal, but to excel in his field.
There are many hardships faced by those who pursue a position in the clergy. Castro does not fear living in a different culture or speaking in a different language. Not only has he done so before, but he is excited by it. The native Spanish-speaker has already accomplished a great deal through hard work and perseverance that it is easy to believe that the same work ethic combined with his honed skills from his time at SDSU will lead him to his ultimate goal of becoming an ordained priest.