Andres Castro '25 Recruiting Profile

My mother could not enter the university because she had to work and she has always thought about the good of others, she always thought about how my sister and I could have the best life, while she worked all day, my mother only had to see us happy so that she would continue working and not give up. When I was little I did not understand this and I did not like that she could not be with us for a long time until I grew up and understood everything that she could have done but she preferred to work so that we could have a beautiful childhood, there I understood the hard work that she did for us and how proud I am to have a mother like that and that is why I want to move forward and graduate from a university and fulfill my goals.Growing up in Columbia with my grandmother and sister brings back many great memories, but it also reminds me of how much my mother sacrificed to provide us with the life she did. Growing up without her was tough. She lived in the United States to work and provide for us back in Columbia. As a child, this was very difficult to understand. I remember being mad at her for leaving us and feeling as though she did not love us. It was not until I was older that I truly understood the great sacrifice she had made.  I never had a lack of food or money all because of my mother. It is because of her, that I am driven to succeed. I want to be able to show my mother that her sacrifices for her family were worth it. 

As a child, I began playing soccer. The older I got, the more I realized how much I love the sport and really started to train to get better. Soccer was my outlet, and I loved to compete.  When I was 15 years old, I suffered a knee injury that required surgery. I was unable to play for almost a year.  I did not think I would be able to play again or come back as strong. However, working with my physical therapists and seeing what amazing work they did, really inspired me to pursue Physical Therapy as a career.  I want to be able to give other people, what my doctors gave me. They gave me hope. They worked with me and rehabbed me so that not only was I able to play again, but I came back stronger than before. I have always been intrigued with working with other athletes to help them recover and/or improve in their sport.