ABFK Star of the Month: Joel Castro
Joel Castro's story is one of perseverance, hard work, and dedication. Despite facing the challenges of being an immigrant, Joel has gone above and beyond in his academic and extracurricular pursuits. From taking advantage of A Bridge for Kids' opportunities to excelling in college, Joel has truly shone as a star.
With A Bridge for Kids, Joel qualified for our internship program with ServiceNow and also wrote an essay in one of our annual Essay Competitions. Using his A Bridge for Kids Laptop, Joel came in second place winning $1,500!
Joel's passion for STEM began in high school, where he took on leadership roles in the robotics club and founded the first First Robotics Competition team in his school's history. This drive for excellence continued when he applied for the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and received a full ride to the University of California. In his first semester at UC Berkeley, Joel has already made a name for himself by joining the SEED Scholars Honors Program, Space Technologies At Cal, and the Department of Computational Biology as an Undergraduate Researcher.
Joel's accomplishments are truly impressive. As a member of Space Technologies At Cal, he is currently representing UC Berkeley in the National University Rover Challenge. He has also taken on a challenging research project at the Department of Computational Biology, working on refining the current Acidic Exposure Model. Joel's involvement in Game Development At Berkeley has also led to the successful publication of a video game that he and his peers built from scratch, which you can play here!
What sets Joel apart is his ability to consistently challenge himself, learn, and grow. Despite facing setbacks and obstacles, Joel remains determined to make the most of every opportunity available to him. He has shown that with hard work and dedication, anyone can achieve their dreams.
Joel's story is an inspiration to all students. It shows that no matter where you come from, with the right attitude and drive, you can achieve great things. As an ABFK Star, Joel serves as a role model to others who may be facing similar challenges. His story is a reminder that anything is possible with hard work and perseverance.