Enrique Castillo Educational Scholarship

At a young age, my grandparents taught me the importance of education. They shared their dreams of one day their hard labor paying off for their children and grandchildren. They constantly valued my work ethic and dedication for school and reminded me that I was accomplishing their vision when they mustered up faith and moved to the United States. I have had the privilege of completing my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from The University of Arizona (UArizona), and I am currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Higher Education to explore college access and outreach programs in postsecondary education in depth. My current role as UArizona, Project Director for the Upward Bound at UArizona, allows me to work with first generation, low-income students from Pueblo and Cholla High School in the Tucson Unified School District. My work in Upward Bound is directly impacting a cohort of students with holistic programming that will help them graduate from high school, enter higher education through community college or four-year university, and earn a baccalaureate degree. What is particularly fascinating about this position is that it allows me to record the impact of longitudinal programming, assess college-going cultures, and student relationships while providing academic and social support. I have become familiar with the challenges underserved students and communities face in preparing for postsecondary education, specifically the LatinX community. As a result, in my Ph.D. studies, I continue to explore the challenges students’ experience, the different approaches Upward Bound as a program brings to their academic experience and how it serves to empower students. My work has taught me the importance of working with students and families through a funds of knowledge (FoK) approach in which I use in my research. FoK is an asset-based approach that understands all students and communities have resources that they draw on and can be tapped into to facilitate and enhance their educational success. Furthermore, this position has also allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with faculty from Center for the Study of Higher Education and to conduct meaningful research. I am currently working closely with Dr. Gary Rhoades who is the Upward Bound Principal Investigator. We have worked closely in completing the IRB process and in understanding of students’ social networks, communities’ funds of knowledge and understanding college pathways within Upward Bound. This experience has been interesting as it allows me to dive deeper into students’ perspectives as they navigate everyday challenges, pandemics, and structures of power while attempting to live out their family’s dream for them. I am eager to contribute and further my knowledge of college access. I believe education can change an individual, that can change a community, that can change the world. I seek to explore the experiences of Latino first-generation students and bridge a wider understanding of research and practice for a greater contribution to both LatinX and first-generation communities.