Students at YULA Boys High School in Los Angeles, California, surprised their math teacher, Julio Castro, with a special gift: a 2019 Mazda. Mr. Castro, who was car-less, commuted four hours a day to work, leaving home at 4:30am and returning at 9:30pm after his three young children have already gone to bed. Reflecting on Mr. Castro's devotion to students despite the long commute, YULA student Joshua Gerendash said, "He'll skip his lunch break to help a student and stay after school. He also helps students who aren't in his classes. He's really, really, really devoted to our futures." As a gesture of their gratitude and appreciation, YULA students used social media to help fundraise $30,000 to purchase a car for Mr. Castro. Mr. Castro, who was born in Peru and is the first person in his family to attend college, felt very grateful and fortunate given that other family members are facing greater hardships. In response to his students' gift, he said, "YULA opened the doors for me, they accepted me as a family member," he said. "And you can't buy that. I want to be here."
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