Jaciel Castro, 06

Originally from Mexico, Jaciel Castro has developed a great passion to serve the Hispanic community throughout his life. Due to limited resources, Jaciel began working at the very young age. One of the experiences that fueled his ambition and passion occurred when he was eight years old. His parents made the decision to sponsor and run an orphanage of 42 kids for two years. The opportunity of living with those kids allowed him to see life from a very different perspective. It made him appreciative of what he had, molded his character and vision, and motivated him to help others who were not as fortunate. Since then, he has pursued a variety of similar life-enriching experiences. As a great appreciator of the arts and realizing how important culture is, Jaciel launched his career as a dancer under the direction of the Director of the Ballet de Bogota- Jairo Lastre. Among his other dancing mentors are Coco Mendoza from the Ballet de Sena and Angela Jackson from the American Dance Theater. He also participated in the Ben Stevenson Academy at the Houston Ballet. In 1997, Jaciel served as Co-Director and Founder of CAF Dance Company. CAF aims to enhance cultural awareness within minorities through Folkloric choreographies that bring history to life. Among the countries represented at CAF are: Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, Colombia, and Cuba. Jaciel is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School. He has been the recipient of awards from the Colombian and Mexican Consulates for Cultural Education and Involvement, specifically in the furthering of the arts. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston. Jaciel serves in the KIPP-Through College Program and is a member of the KIPP Alumni Association of which he is the Communications Chair. He serves as Director of the Hispanic class for the Singles Ministry at Second Baptist Church. Jaciel is active in efforts to reduce the human trafficking issue globally and locally. In 2012, he founded Protech Design, an architectural design firm providing engineering and design services for Houston clients and contractors. Jaciel enjoys reading, learning about new technology, and mentoring young men with the hope of witnessing their growth into ethical and socially-responsible leaders.