Businessman Richard Castro founded CommUNITY en Acción to enact positive change and support the community through leadership, education and volunteerism. Now, the non-profit has created a new scholarship fund in the Paso del Norte Community Foundation bearing his name.

The scholarship awards high school seniors who dedicate extracurricular time to community service projects related to their future careers. The scholarship was named in honor of Castro, who owns dozens of McDonald’s restaurants in El Paso. He has committed much of his free time to education and philanthropic work since graduating college in 1970 from Texas State University.

CommUNITY en Acción partnered with the Paso del Norte Community Foundation to ensure funds are administered transparently and properly.

“I would recommend the partnership, they are obviously very helpful, professional and have a long-standing record for success,” said Castro who has worked with the Community Foundation on other scholarship funds. “They make it easy for organizations to work with them and with their program.”

When seniors are graduating high school, Castro said, students should not only be academically college-ready, but financially equipped as well. Being college-ready, he says, is the responsibility of the student and educators; when it comes to being financially ready, especially in smaller communities that surround El Paso, scholarships are often a necessity.

“I am proud that CommUNITY en Acción started The Richard Castro Community Service Scholarship in an effort to help some of our students overcome and deal with some of the financial requirements,” said Castro.

The fund will award its first scholarship to applicants later this year and there is still time to apply. The scholarship is for high school seniors who have been enrolled in a high school in Fabens ISD, Tornillo ISD, San Elizario ISD or Anthony ISD. Students must have already been accepted to an accredited institution and show proof of volunteering. For more information on the scholarship you can visit the CommUNITY en Acción’s website at http://communityenaccion.org.

Applications must be submitted by Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 5 p.m. 

“With this scholarship, the hope is that it will inspire the recipients to enroll, stay in and graduate from their university of choice,” said Castro. 

CommUNITY en Acción strongly focuses on education and believes it is the way for students to achieve a better life for themselves, their families and their communities. 

“Not only do the students benefit from their efforts but the community, as a whole, benefits because of the individual succeeding and studies have shown that,” Castro said.