Diana Castillo attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts where she is double majoring in Spanish and sociology. At Wellesley, an all-women’s school, Diana feels empowered by the legacy of former female graduates, hoping to make her own impact on the world someday.  

While at school Diana serves as a Resident Assistant (R.A.), a member of Mezcla, a Latinx organization on campus and as a student assistant for the Advisor to Latinx Students.

Upon graduating in May 2017, Diana aspires to find work that involves Spanish and working with others. She plans to participate in a fifth-year program at Wellesley to obtain a certification to teach Spanish at secondary schools.

For Diana, being Student Advisor to the Board during the 2012-13 school year showed her how influential the school board is and about the decisions they make to enforce policies that impact a large diverse group of students for years to come.

“Being the student advisor was a unique position, because the policies that were being passed were directly affecting me,” Diana said. “From this experience, I learned that to best serve, you must know the people you are serving.”

As a graduate of Larkin High School, Diana fondly recalls her involvement in student government. She credits Ms. Rees, a faculty advisor for student government, as one of the reasons she enjoyed the organization through participating in fundraisers that demanded creativity and dedication. Through Diana’s experience in student government and being a student athlete, she learned the importance of community, giving back and continuing traditions.

Diana’s message to future Board of Education Student Advisors is to work hard, get involved and not to limit yourself.

“Don’t be afraid to speak up,” Diana said. “You are the sole student voice on the Board and you, your friends and about 40,000 other students are the one that will be directly affected. No one else has your perspective; do not hesitate to share.”