Autism not slowing Rafael Castro securing diploma, college degree
Rafael Castro, who is identified as autistic, is set to earn his high school diploma from Woodrow Wilson Early College High School and associates degree from LSCPA next month. (Mary Meaux/The Port Arthur News)
By Mary Meaux
The Port Arthur News
mary.meaux@panews.com
Rafael Castro sometimes wonders what it would be like to not be autistic.
“Being ‘normal’ like my sisters would be a good thing,” Castro said. “I always wanted to be like a prodigy, a child prodigy. One that makes inventions; always gets straight A’s and all of that.”
Castro said he thought his sisters were child prodigies because they made good grades.
“But I found out they’re just like normal,” he said realizing their success was due to hard work. “So I guess people like me can be a little bit like prodigies.”
Titles aside, the 17-year-old Castro is set to earn his high school diploma from Woodrow Wilson Early College High School in the top percent of his class and an associates degree from Lamar State College Port Arthur with a 3.42 grade point average.
The soon-to-graduate senior said as a child his mother thought he was deaf because he was so quiet. He did not speak until he was 6. They later learned his diagnosis.
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