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Mini feature: Dani Castro, the giraffe-loving biology-relishing bilingual new student

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“I applied to all the BYU schools and to universities in Texas as well. It would have been a lot easier for me to transfer my credits and get scholarships from them, but the tuition here at BYUH is almost unbeatable sometimes, and the location is great. I prayed about it, and I trusted the counsel I believe I received. And I think this is where I needed to be.

“I feel like charity is a huge thing and very important. Especially here on campus, I think a lot of us can relate that we disregard what someone is thinking or feeling. Not because we’re shallow or rude, I just think we have so much going on that sometimes we overlook these things.”

When asked about his future career plans, Castro said, “The reason I’m taking biology is because I’m still deciding whether it’s pediatrics or forensics I want to go into. I also love watching Discovery Channel, and on my free time I watch educational videos on Netflix. I mean it’s kind of nerdy, but I learn a lot.”

According to Castro, his favorite animal is a giraffe. He said, “Why do I love giraffes? I’ll tell you to look up videos of giraffes fighting. It’s so cool and awesome. Besides the fact they’re cute, when you see them fight with their necks it’s intense.”

When Castro was in high school, he said he was really involved in extracurricular activities. “I did band, choir, speech debate, and bowling. I played sports a little bit, but everyone got tall and big. I’m a pretty short guy.”

Castro said when he was young, he had problems with speech. For that reason, he said he had to be in a speech class until he was in fifth grade. “It was difficult for me to learn English. When the time came for me to learn Spanish, I didn’t want to do it. I was just tired and frustrated because it’s a different language.”

Being half Chilean and Venezuelan, Castro said his parents attempted to teach him Spanish, but he didn’t end up learning Spanish until his mission. “Not only is knowing a second language awesome and helpful in my professional endeavors, but also it helps me communicate and embrace other Latin cultures, as well as my own.”

 

“I applied to all the BYU schools and to universities in Texas as well. It would have been a lot easier for me to transfer my credits and get scholarships from them, but the tuition here at BYUH is almost unbeatable sometimes, and the location is great. I prayed about it, and I trusted the counsel I believe I received. And I think this is where I needed to be.

“I feel like charity is a huge thing and very important. Especially here on campus, I think a lot of us can relate that we disregard what someone is thinking or feeling. Not because we’re shallow or rude, I just think we have so much going on that sometimes we overlook these things.”

When asked about his future career plans, Castro said, “The reason I’m taking biology is because I’m still deciding whether it’s pediatrics or forensics I want to go into. I also love watching Discovery Channel, and on my free time I watch educational videos on Netflix. I mean it’s kind of nerdy, but I learn a lot.”

According to Castro, his favorite animal is a giraffe. He said, “Why do I love giraffes? I’ll tell you to look up videos of giraffes fighting. It’s so cool and awesome. Besides the fact they’re cute, when you see them fight with their necks it’s intense.”

When Castro was in high school, he said he was really involved in extracurricular activities. “I did band, choir, speech debate, and bowling. I played sports a little bit, but everyone got tall and big. I’m a pretty short guy.”

Castro said when he was young, he had problems with speech. For that reason, he said he had to be in a speech class until he was in fifth grade. “It was difficult for me to learn English. When the time came for me to learn Spanish, I didn’t want to do it. I was just tired and frustrated because it’s a different language.”

Being half Chilean and Venezuelan, Castro said his parents attempted to teach him Spanish, but he didn’t end up learning Spanish until his mission. “Not only is knowing a second language awesome and helpful in my professional endeavors, but also it helps me communicate and embrace other Latin cultures, as well as my own.”

Dani Castro is a sophomore biology major from Texas.

Writer: Antoniette Yee