LIC Teen Loves A Challenge

When Lwiza Castillo sees something new - a foreign language, history subject or area of expertise she's unfamiliar with - the Long Island City teen dives in head first.
&#8220I always try to do my best,” she says. &#8220I'm a little bit of a perfectionist. If I don't know something, I try to understand it. I love learning new stuff.”
From her three years at St. John's Prep, that is pretty apparent. The lists of her activities at the Astoria school are a never-ending list. She ran track & field as a 10th and 11th grader, was involved in student government as a class representative, was a member of the speech and debate team, and wrote for the school paper; the Tablet, a local Catholic newspaper, gave her a best photography award for a photo she took of an African dance performance.
Castillo acknowledges she takes part in more activities than is advised, but that it just comes naturally. &#8220In high school, I did basically everything, but that was my life,” she said. &#8220Ever since I was little, my mom made sure I spread myself out. It was always to better myself. I like public speaking, I like to get my message across, and therefore I joined the speech and debate team.
&#8220The student council, I wanted to help my classmates,” she continued. &#8220I was only a class representative but I still gave my two cents as to how I felt the class should be run.”
But that's not all with the brilliant 17-year old. She spends her few free hours giving to others. She volunteered as a sophomore for Councilwoman Catherine Nolan and worked free of charge for Attitude Media, the media and entertainment company whose current businesses now include internet technology support and web and graphic design. Furthermore, Castillo serves as an altar server and lector at her church, St. Patrick's, in Long Island City. &#8220I like to feel like I'm being useful for my community and making a difference,” she said.
Born in Santiago, Dominican Republic, Castillo came to Queens when she was just 18 months old. Because of her background she is fluent in both English and Spanish, but also knows a lot of French.
She is also part of the 5-to-7 program at St. John's Prep, where they send several of their students to St. John's University to start college a year early; she's considered a high school senior and college freshman at the same time. At the Jamaica Estates school, she joined the student newspaper, The Torch, and is a member of LEAP, an undergraduate leadership empowering program. At its conclusion this spring, she earned an award for excellence as the best student in the program with a 3.5 Grade Point Average.
&#8220The first words that come to my mind when I think of Lwiza is enthusiasm; it's contagious almost,” said Sister Claudia Bradshaw, who runs the 5-to-7 program at St. John's Prep. &#8220She's a young lady that is interested in everything in life. There's nothing you can tell her that she doesn't respond to, and she isn't interested in. She gave tremendous effort into every class she was in. She was well liked and respected by all her peers.”
Castillo, who won the perfect attendance award at St. John's Prep in her class all three years, is spending the summer at the New York Historical Society, helping out in their media relations department.