Help Gina Achieve Her Dreams and Support Her Siblings

My name is Ashley Castro, and I had the privilege of being one of Gina’s teachers in high school. Gina holds a very special place in my heart.

Gina was pretty reserved and rarely spoke in class. However, the more I got to know her, the more her incredible story unfolded. At the tender age of 4, Gina was placed in foster care due to her mother’s drug addiction. She would be returned off and on to her mother, but the addiction continued. At 14, she was placed in permanent foster care. Unhappy with her living situation, she ran away and became homeless. At just 14, she began to raise herself, working over 60 hours wherever she could and living with friends here and there.

At 16, Gina got her own place and juggled school and work. In 2022, she decided to enroll herself at Round Rock High School because she knew the teachers there would push her to graduate. She would take the city bus at 6 am from North Austin to make it to Round Rock on time. On top of taking care of herself and working crazy hours, she took in her middle school siblings, ages 14 and 12, so they wouldn’t have to endure the foster care system like she did.

Gina’s siblings unfortunately went back to her mother while Gina attended The University of Texas at El Paso for 2 years. At UTEP, she maintained a 4.0 GPA, something she never thought she would accomplish. Most recently, Gina was accepted into The University of Texas at Austin, her dream school. She plans on majoring in Social Work and going to Law School to advocate for children in the foster care system.

The week before Gina was supposed to move into the dorms in Austin, she received a phone call from her younger sister stating their mother was back in the criminal justice system and undergoing rehabilitation. Gina was adamant her siblings would not endure the foster care system like she did, so she did what she knew best. She got a ride to Houston and brought them to Austin. She was able to secure a 2-bedroom apartment and now has full custody of her two siblings, Jakeob (16) and Zoie (17).

Gina is not one to ask for help; however, I am doing this to help raise money so Gina can provide a nice home for not only herself but her siblings as well. Gina is enrolled full-time at the University of Texas and is working full-time at HEB. She does not have a mode of transportation and takes the bus everywhere she goes. The funds from this campaign will go towards giving Gina the opportunity to purchase a reliable mode of transportation and to furnish her apartment.

Gina has done the unimaginable! I am so PROUD of her. She has overcome so much adversity and has faced challenges and obstacles most grown adults can say they never have. It would be an honor to give back to someone who has worked so hard to be the role model she is for her siblings. Any donation would help!

Thank you for your support!