News

(Winter 2020) – Hector Castro Noguez Jr. wants to work for NASA one day. “I want to be an engineer or scientist there after college.” The SMART senior Scholar is already working towards his dream. Hector recently received the highly competitive four-year Posse scholarship to attend Boston University next fall. He is one of just thirty Bay Area students to receive the scholarship.

As the first generation in his family to go to college, Hector understands it has already been a journey for his whole family to this point. His parents immigrated to San Francisco from Mexico before Hector and his sister were born. Growing up in the Mission neighborhood, Hector felt very connected to his cultural roots. “My dad had to work right after high school, and my mom completed elementary school with no access to further schooling. I grew up with strong values of family and education. They instilled that in me at a really young age.”

After hearing about SMART through his elementary school, Hector’s family enrolled in the program. With SMART’s support, the family explored various middle school options for Hector, eventually finding a home at San Francisco Friends School. “It was a transition for me. I grew up in a place where everyone came from a very similar cultural background as me. I was very much the new kid.”

But Hector quickly found his footing through the support of his new school and the community he was building at SMART. “San Francisco Friends School was focused on building connections among students. They made me feel like I had been there for years.” Twice a week after school, Hector would come to SMART’s Middle School Achievement Program, where he blossomed even more. “There was a lot of diversity at SMART, and it felt like a place I could really express myself with people that were going through similar experiences as me. Some of my best friends I have right now, I met then.”

As Hector continued on to 9th grade at San Francisco University High School, he came to understand the importance of not only his own education, but also the education of all students in his local community. Motivated to act, he joined SMART’s Scholar Advisory Board.

Last year, Hector, along with his Scholar Advisory Board peers, facilitated a panel discussion at SMART’s annual First Gen Conference, which raises awareness regarding the experiences of first-generation students in San Francisco schools. “I wanted to be a voice for underrepresented students in schools. I want to uplift these voices and make teachers and schools aware of issues students like us may face.”

Hector attributes much of his growth as a leader to SMART. “I’m the president of the Latinx club at school. I actually used to hide the fact that I was Mexican. At SMART I learned to be really proud of my heritage. SMART helped me become who I am.”

The same motivation and drive led Hector to seek a summer law firm internship with longstanding SMART supporter, Ropes & Gray LLP, as well as a volunteer opportunity with SMART’s Summer Academic Enrichment Program.

Hector is now preparing to begin his studies in the fall at Boston University’s College of Engineering, making him one step closer to his NASA dream. NASA will be lucky to have him.