When it comes to treading new ground, Nick Castro has made a career out of it. He began his brand new position of Coordinatory for Hispanic and Latino Affairs
Bearcat spotlight: Nick Castro
here at UCBA in July. This isn’t the first position of this nature Castro has occupied. For a time he worked at the office of diversity and inclusion in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. While there he focused on grant and scholarship work for people working on their undergrad who wanted to become coaches or athletic directors. This position seems to have primed Nick for his current role, but there was much more preceding his time with the NCAA that made him the man he is today.
Castro is a first generation American who was born in Chicago. Of his three siblings he was the first to attend college, which he first attended at the University of Michigan. Castro described the experience as “almost a culture shock.” To go from a high school environment to a massive college campus certainly wasn’t easy, but it didn’t stop him. After attending the University of Michigan, Castro attended DePaul University where he worked towards his Juris Doctorate. It was during this time that Castro worked for the NCAA.
In the short time since taking on this new position here at UCBA, he has had a lot of experiences. His first impression about the university is simple: What stands out to him is commitment. At UCBA he said he witnessed a commitment to students that was unmatched in his career. Castro also commented on how he “loves the student centered focus of the university and the family oriented feeling of our small campus.” Castro’s goal in his new position is to create a welcoming and supportive environment for Hispanic and Latino students.
Working in admissions and retention, Castro has noticed a positive student response towards his position, and the students he’s worked with have shown genuine excitement about the resources that are now available. To try and further his goals, Castro has proposed a high school mentoring and tutoring outreach program. The program is still in its pilot stage, but it exemplifies his tenacity in moving toward his goals. In addition to his high school program, Castro is trying to create a UCBA branch of Latinos en Accion, a club centered at our main campus geared toward creating a sense of community for students of Latino heritage. He also believes that the new UCBA common hour will improve the sense of community he is striving for on our campus.
Castro’s commitment and passion towards helping Hispanic and Latino students is setting a strong precedent and is capable of creating a ripple effect for positive change on our campus.