Ricardo Castillo is an 18-year-old student at Project More High School, a TUSD school focused on personalizing the learning experience. Castillo waits for the bus to school each weekday at a covered stop just off of 12th Avenue.

Castillo has two brothers and a sister. He lives with his mother, her boyfriend and his grandmother. Castillo currently lives just outside South Tucson limits. The family has lived in Southern Arizona for as long as Castillo can trace back his roots.

After high school, he plans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps in order to afford post-high school education. He doesn’t think he could afford college otherwise.

With experience as a boxer, the war fighting-focused branch of the military might be a perfect fit. Castillo currently trains at Eclipse MMA in Tucson, and has a few fights under his belt. He’s also excited for the travel opportunities the military profession offers.

For the purpose of being with his family and helping financially, after completion of his service, Castillo intends to return to South Tucson.

South Tucson is a unique community located south of downtown Tucson. According to the city’s website, South Tucson boasts the slogan, “The Pueblo Within a City” by staying true to “the cultural background, language and beliefs of its people.”

Each week, the blog will feature one profile photo and brief story of a person I met at a bus stop within the one square mile community.

The city boundaries are:

 Union Pacific Railroad tracks (east)  

 25th Street (north)

12th Ave. (west) 

40th Street and Benson Highway (south)