I grew up as a white dude. I grew up speaking English in white suburbia that had zero Latin culture. There was only one thread connecting me to my Latin roots, my dad. As an immigrant from Peru, my dad fought against the tide to keep my siblings and I connected to our heritage, but it was largely a losing battle. Instead of being raised on ceviche y futbol, we were raised on burgers and football. As I moved from childhood into adulthood, I stayed disconnected from who I was and where my dad came from.
It wasn’t until I graduated from college that I decided to explore my roots. I moved to Madrid to be a teacher, learn Spanish, and finally learn more about myself. After a year of eating tapas, making a ton of Spanish amigos, and reading all the Harry Potter books en espanol, I came back to the States fluent.
Being fluent in Spanish allowed me to work in two Emergency Rooms in downtown Los Angeles. I spoke Spanish every day, helped care for Latino patients, and felt like I had earned my last name, Castro. Now, as a medical student and future doctor, I find it more important than ever to represent as a Latino. In my medical school class, I’m one of two Latino men in a class of 124. On a bigger scale, Latinos only represent about 5% of all doctors in the US. I’m proud to be a Latino scientist, medical profession, and member of the Latino community.
Daniel Castro Larner College of Medicine Class of 2023
Biography: Born In Boston, MA and raised on the East Coast. Moved to California in 2010 to begin school. Awarded Associates Degrees in Chemistry and Biology. Went on to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology from the University of California at Berkeley. Currently a medical degree candidate at University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine. Big fan of rock climbing, snowboarding, soccer, and dogs.
