天美影院

天美影院Trustee Richard A. Castro has received the 2021 Texas Higher Education Distinguished Service Award.

The award recognizes Castro for his extraordinary work as an educator and his positive impact on the education of Texans through philanthropy, leadership and service. 

The statewide award was presented on Wednesday by members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT), in partnership with the Council of Public University Presidents and Chancellors (CPUPC) and the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), during a virtual celebration.

鈥淢r. Castro first became involved at Our Lady of the Lake University when his son enrolled but quickly proved his passion for promoting equitable access to higher education by joining our Board of Trustees,鈥� said 天美影院President Diane Melby, EdD. 鈥淩ichard understands the power higher education has to lift a person, family and a community.鈥�  

A member of the 天美影院Board of Trustees for six years, Castro started his professional life as a teacher in Eagle Pass.

Castro later became one of the most successful Hispanic McDonald鈥檚 franchise owners in the U.S., but his passion for education never stopped. As former president of the McDonald鈥檚 Hispanic Owner/Operator Association (MHOA), Castro initiated the Hispanic American Commitment to Educational Resources (HACER) Scholarship Program, one of the largest scholarship programs for Hispanic students in the nation. 

HACER has awarded more than $28 million in scholarships since its inception.鈥�

Castro also helped found Community in Accio虂n, a network of Hispanic community leaders that seek to improve El Paso 鈥渂y engaging in 鈥榲alue-driven鈥� initiatives.鈥� 

A son of immigrants who grew up in Del Rio, Castro taught at Eagle Pass ISD and served as City Manager of Del Rio. Later, he opened a McDonald鈥檚 franchise in El Paso and became one of the company鈥檚 largest Hispanic owner with 27 restaurants in Texas and more than 1,000 employees.