In August 2024, Colorado Academy’s College Office welcomed Alex Castro to the team!
Alex joins us from the undergraduate admissions office at the University of Southern California, where he served as Assistant Director of Admission and recruited students from across the country. At CA, he has already hit the ground running with Seniors and on collaborative projects with colleagues. Here, at USC, and beyond, Alex has distinguished himself as a trusted colleague and thoughtful presence in every room. He got his start in secondary schools through USC’s College Advising Corps at LAUSD’s Esteban E. Torres High School and has also evaluated applications for the University of California, Irvine.
Though Alex and his wife live in Denver and are getting to know all corners of the region, they are originally from Los Angeles. He studied History, Human Biology, and Spanish as an undergraduate at USC, where he was a Trustee Scholar, and also completed his Master’s in Education from USC.
Read on to learn more about Alex and his journey to CA!
If you could swap lives with any fictional high school character for a day, who would it be and what would you do?
Seamus Finnegan from the Harry Potter series. Why a random Harry Potter side character? I still get to do all the magic without having all the Dark Lord drama messing up my day. On my ideal day, I would ride a hippogriff, watch a Quidditch match, and end with a giant holiday feast in the Great Hall.
What is your hidden talent?
Now this may be a stretch of the definition of the word “talent,” but I am a four-time fantasy basketball champion. Go, Clippers!
What is in your playlist or queue right now?
I am a big podcast person. Right now I have the New Heights podcast, Armchair Expert, the Ringer NBA Show, NaddPod, the Complex Sneakers podcast, and Soul Boom at the top of my queue among others.
Why did you become a college admissions officer at USC?
In my time as a college advisor at Torres High School, I got to really know students as well as college admission officers. I was spending a lot of time trying to get into the heads of an admissions officer when counseling my students on their applications. It made me really interested to see how applications were evaluated. This led me to reading part-time for UC Irvine for an admissions cycle. I really enjoyed the experience of evaluating applications and wanted to pursue the admissions life full-time. I figured there would be no better place to start that career than my alma mater, USC!
What drew you to CA?
I’ve missed the opportunity to create deeper relationships with students through the counseling part of the college process. CA is the perfect place where I can use the skills I’ve learned evaluating thousands of applications over the years to help students along their journey.
CA students are prepared to go to schools across the country, which makes my job as a college counselor that much more compelling. From the Taste of CA to Interim, there are so many special things about CA that I can’t wait to experience.
What have you learned about CA students already?
CA students really take advantage of the diverse curriculum and extracurricular opportunities that we offer. It is not rare for me to meet a student who has a unique set of passions like climbing, videography, and physics. Our students are also so friendly and I have really enjoyed getting to know them. It’s safe to say that CA students will be leaders and thrive in whatever college setting they find themselves in.
Do Colorado and California actually have anything in common?
I always like to tell my friends back home that Denver is a smaller LA in many ways. It has many of the great things my hometown has, like great food, a lot of sports, and awesome museums. On a state-level, I would say the main similarities are the mountains and the generally sunny weather. Besides that, they are pretty different, although I’ve already come to feel at home here in Denver!
What advice do you have for high school students who are just beginning their college search?
I know this process can be overwhelming when you first start, but you are not alone! Make use of your resources. Whether that’s your parents, your college counselors, or your friends: We are all in this together. And you will have options! There are so many institutions where you can succeed and be happy, not just your “top” choice. So when you are stressed, take a deep breath, come into our offices to talk it out, and we will help you get to the finish line.