Gilberto Castro, son of immigrants, assures that the work and support of his parents were fundamental in his preparation.
Until a few days ago, Gilbert Castro reviewed his options to see which university he will attend in the fall. The decision was not easy, although it was very pleasant. Universities like UCLA, Stanford, MIT, UC Irvine, the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and UC Santa Barbara had accepted it.
And it is not for less, Gilbert is considered a student gifted with great skills that have allowed him to obtain exceptional grades in his classes at Bell High School. He currently takes six AP (advanced) classes.
Finally, Gilbert opted for Caltech University in Pasadena, a private university that ranks number five among the best universities in the nation.
"I'm not sure what career I'm going to study, but I want something (related) to mathematics or physics," said the young man with Mexican roots.
Gilbert considers himself a reserved student, however, he said he was unable to hide his disappointment when he learned that his classes switched overnight to virtual classes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"At first it didn't look that bad and some students made jokes (of the situation)," Gilbert said. "And if I got a little sad about changing classes because it's a different situation, it's harder to focus on."
Despite the adversities, Gilbert has managed to demonstrate his academic attributes both on the school campus and at his home in the city of Cudahy.
Gilbert is in charge of helping his younger brothers to enter their own virtual classes and then he does his job.
Her parents, both Mexicans, are considered essential employees and despite the pandemic they must go out to work daily.
"My parents have inspired me the most," said Gilbert. “They work every day so that my brothers and I have the opportunities we have and have always believed in me. Without your hard work and always encouraging me to continue my education, I would not be where I am today. ”
Caltech the Favorite
Gilbert said he had very good college options and as the winner of one of the nation's most prestigious scholarships, the Gates Scholarship, which is highly selective for exceptional minority students, the bottom line is significantly reduced to his parents' pocket size. .
"Among my schools of choice were MIT and Caltech, both have a world-class education in the subjects that interest me," said Gilbert. “Being from California, I wanted to stay close not only to my family and friends, but also to my community where I grew up.”
The young man said that Caltech University being smaller is more to his liking since he likes to have a group of closer friends.
Her mother, Mrs. Alma Díaz, said that both she and her husband are very proud that their son is the first to go to college in the family and can set an example for his brothers.
"Just now he told me what (school) decided … and we are very happy," Dias explained.
School with potential
Bell High School principal Rafael Balderas said the letters have begun this week to arrive.
"We have already received letters for 12 students who have already been accepted to UCLA, Stanford and in about two weeks we will receive many more," said the principal.
Balderas added that Bell High School has an average of 90% graduates each year and this year the class of 2020 is expected to graduate approximately 560 students.
Gilbert's counselor, Mario Apodaca, said that they are very proud to see the effort that students are putting in despite the pandemic that is taking place in the world.
Gilbert said he would eventually like to be a researcher or professor in a STEM-related field and aspires to earn a doctorate.
"Before that I would like to experience other jobs in those fields, such as possibly analyzing data or modeling situations for large companies like Google," said the young man. "With a degree in math or physics, there are a wide variety of careers that I can pursue."
