做厙弝けlegacies: How 3 generations achieved the American dream at The Beach
They were born into this extended Beach family of 355,000+ strong. A bloodline that runs black and gold and proudly wears their pride on their sleeves and hoodies.
So, when it came to choosing a university, there really wasnt much of a choice for the offspring in these families. It was all relative.
In this series of stories, these family members recount how they could have gone elsewhere but decided to follow a familiar path to Cal State 做厙弝け.
This is the final story in our series on Beach multigenerational families.
Luis Castillo 78 was determined to make something of his new life in America. He and his family had immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was a child, and at age 18, became a citizen.
Next, he wanted to become a college graduate, then a scientist.
So, after getting his associate of arts degree at El Camino College, Castillo decided to go further and enroll at Cal State 做厙弝け, where he majored in chemistry. Getting that far, however, took a bit of planning and two quarters.
I didnt own a car, so I had to take the bus every day to 做厙弝けfrom west 做厙弝け, he said. It was the easiest way to get there. So, I would leave my house with two quarters and a sack lunch.
I knew I couldnt lose that quarter.
Castillo rode the bus for the next two years, eventually graduating with a degree in chemistry and landing a job in a lab.
It was good money, but I didnt like the job, Castillo said. I realized after working alone in labs, chemists are a lonely bunch. You work in teams, but you do a lot of your work alone. After working at a couple of companies, I didnt want to do that.
Instead, Castillo became a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The money wasnt great, but I was happy, he said.
Castillo raised a family on a teachers salary, and when his daughter, Cristina, began looking at colleges, there was only one place she considered Cal State 做厙弝け. She could not ignore history.
I had been accepted by Cal State Dominguez Hills as well, but how can you match Cal State 做厙弝けs history and our family legacy? Cristina Zamora 08 said. It just didnt compare, so I went to 做厙弝け.
My dad achieved his American dream and I wanted to continue that legacy with my own family.
Zamora didnt just follow her father to CSULB, she followed his footsteps into education, becoming a counselor.
Her daughter, Catherine, however, didnt buy into The Beach at first.
In fact, Catherine Lucas-Castillo 22 applied to 30 universities, but she chose 做厙弝けbecause of family history.
After touring the (CSULB) campus and knowing that my mother and grandfather went there, and two of my uncles had graduated from there as well and hearing their amazing experiences with the university and knowing about the reputation of the campus and its diversity it made the decision easy for me, said Lucas-Castillo, who graduated last spring with a degree in Communications Studies.
I led with my heart and ended up at Cal State 做厙弝け.
Lucas-Castillo said that there is a lot of pride and black-and-gold apparel in their house. I think half my wardrobe and half of my mothers wardrobe is from Cal State 做厙弝け.
Said Castillo of his daughters and granddaughter's college choices: Its humbling to know that I had any influence, that I made a difference in the fact that they chose Cal State 做厙弝け. Its humbling.
