XAVIER CASTELLANOS

The crossroads between ability and opportunity are valuable times. Our most rewarding memories usually come at these times. For example, the first time ever riding a bicycle, our first apartment, success in a business. After receiving my Bachelors Degree I felt fortunate to be educated, so I volunteered at an inner-city school. While there I was offered a teaching position. The students and I worked well together. They soaked up information like a wool sweater does rain. They needed me and it felt amazing. My passion and maturity crossed paths. Shortly after devoting myself to this community of learners, I quickly realized that we all can build bridges. Bridges to new, better ways of seeing the world and living. As one of the youngest concierges on staff at a luxury hotel I visited these bridges early on. But, what if I hadn’t meet that hospitality executive who took at chance on me while I was still in High School? I needed to share this knowledge. Later, I experienced another crossroad between passion and maturity: I was offered a position at Santa Ana College. It was there, I was able to build more bridges and even crossroads. It was there, these bridges crossed borders and social-economic boundaries. Since then, I have had deepened understanding of the immigrant experience. I believe celebrating culture and making a contribution to the betterment of others is like putting structual re-bar in a bridge. Building bridges and crossroads is the American way.

Xavier Castellanos