Aaron Castro can thank his father and his older brother for his time on the football field. “I choose to play football because it is so fun,” he said. He used to play for De Anza High School and has played for three years, currently as a linebacker.

While COVID-19 affected everyone around the world, Castro found challenges on his own. The pandemic “made some things hard, like finding gyms or a place to work out,” he said. While the fall season was canceled in 2020, Castro was able to play in the spring of 2021.

On October 29, Castro played his last game as a high school, and maybe his last game as a student. “I am not planning to go to college, but who knows where God will take me,” he said. “When you do play a sport, the one thing you should not do is quit.”

When he is not playing football or focusing on school and his senior year, he enjoys building stuff with his dad and playing video games. “I also love my family,” he said.

He had one message to share with students and staff alike. “To all of Armijo, just try your best,” he said.