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Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association


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Mayor Julián Castro, Class of 1992

05/23/2014 6:30 AM | Thomas Jefferon High School Alumni Association (Administrator)
A 39-year-old San Antonio native, Mayor Julián Castro, Jefferson Class of 1992, is the youngest mayor of a Top 50 American city. First elected on May 9, 2009, Mayor Castro handily won re-election in 2011 with nearly 82 percent of the vote.

Throughout his tenure, Mayor Castro has focused on attracting well-paying jobs in 21st century industries, positioning San Antonio to be a leader in the New Energy Economy and raising educational attainment across the spectrum. In 2011, the Milken Institute ranked San Antonio the nation’s top-performing local economy.

Mayor Castro created SA2020, a community-wide visioning effort turned nonprofit that has galvanized thousands of San Antonians around a simple, but powerful vision for San Antonio – to create a brainpower community that is the liveliest city in the nation.

Under his leadership, the city in 2010 opened Café College, a one-stop center offering high-quality guidance on college admissions, financial aid and standardized test preparation to any student in the San Antonio area. In its first year, Café College served more than 5,000 area students, spurring an expansion of the facility in 2011.

In November 2012, Mayor Castro led a voter-approved public referendum that will expand high-quality Pre-K services to more than 22,000 San Antonio four-year-olds over the next eight years.

Mayor Castro also has brought a sense of urgency to revitalizing the city’s urban core, including the underserved East Side of San Antonio, by initiating the “Decade of Downtown” and approving a series of incentives to encourage inner city investment. These efforts have spurred plans for the construction of more than 2,400 housing units in the center city by 2014.

In March 2010, Mayor Castro joined executives from Google and Twitter in being named to the World Economic Forum’s list of Young Global Leaders. Later that year, Time magazine placed him on its “40 under 40” list of rising stars in American politics. Mayor Castro also serves on the board of directors of the National League of Cities, is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue and is an Aspen-Rodel Fellow. In addition to his community service, Mayor Castro has taught courses at The University of Texas at San Antonio, Trinity University, and St. Mary’s University.

Mayor Castro earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford University with honors and distinction in 1996 and a juris doctorate from Harvard Law School in 2000. In 2001, at the age of 26, Castro became the youngest elected city councilman at that time in San Antonio history.

He is married to Erica Lira Castro, an elementary school teacher, and they are the proud parents of Carina, born in 2009.

Mayor Castro’s brother, Joaquin, serves in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Last year, Mayor Castro addressed graduates of his Alma Mater, Thomas Jefferson High School, at the 2013 Commencement Ceremony.

The TJHS Alumni Association thanks Mayor Castro for this interview and for serving as a great role model for all Mustangs.

Contributing Writer: Michelle Resendez Mata and Office of Mayor Julián Castro
Photos Provided By: Office of Mayor Julián Castro

Enjoyed this Spotlight Story? Please share it with our Mustang Family. Share your story by emailing us at contact@tjhsalumni.org. Additionally, you can help the TJHSAA share our legacy by becoming a contributing writer at contact@tjhsalumni.org.

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The Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association is in the process of establishing a 501(c)(3) organization. The Thomas Jefferson High School Alumni Association is a Texas Domestic Non Profit Corporation. 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Application Pending.

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TJHS Alumni Association, PO Box 780024, San Antonio, TX 78278-0024 | contact@tjhsalumni.org | 210-570-TJHS
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