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Off Road, On Course
9/24/2007
 Touring on the road as a professional musician playing jazz and big band music, the last thing on Tim Castro’s mind was going back to school. But after 10 years of traveling and hours of conversation, Castro, impressed by the intellectual side of his band mates, decided to pursue a college degree.
A native of El Paso, Texas, it took six years for this non-traditional student to earn his bachelor’s degree in music and theology in 2005. In 2007, Castro graduated with a Master in Liberal Arts degree in English.
His teachers’ passion for music is what drew Castro to the University of St. Thomas. Specifically it was Lovie Smith- Schenk that made him pursue music here wanting to study under her instruction. “Music is a part of who I am,” Castro said. “It is the way I express the true nature of everything I do. Lovie taught me discipline, dedication and professionalism.”
A devoted Catholic, Castro believes that God gave him the gift of music to discover his own true nature and in turn to pass that on to others. This is where his desire to teach came in to play. Now a graduate of UST, Castro teaches English II, Literature and Rhetoric classes at Cy-Fair College.
All it took was one visit to UST for Castro to immediately fall in love with the people at the University. “One person I will never forget is the late Dr. Janice Gordon-Kelter, who was the director of the Master in Liberal Arts program, when I was at UST,” Castro said. “Besides my parents, she was my biggest supporter and friend. I almost left school when she died, but I thought how disappointed she would be in me if I left without finishing.”
Unlike conventional graduate programs with their narrower specializations, the MLA program encourages by its very nature for students to expand their knowledge in various disciplines.
According to Dr. Ravi Srinivas, director of the MLA Program, “Tim Castro is an ideal MLA student in many ways. He has broad academic interests and is able to integrate knowledge gained form different areas, including those outside his area of concentration.”
Castro is one of 72 students who graduated with a MLA degree in 2006 -2007.
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