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Kevin Castañeda – September 2020

Texas A&M Department of Economics Amazing Student

September, 2020

castenadaName: Kevin Raul Castañeda-Mondragon

Hometown: Antioch, California

High School: Skyline High School

Degree objective: BS in Economics, Minor in Business Administration, Minor in Financial Planning, and Business Economics Certificate (BEC)

Expected graduation: May 2021

University highlights, awards, scholarships: Dean’s List, Distinguished Student Award, Regent’s Scholar, Jacqueline M. Browning Memorial Scholarship recipient

Clubs/Organizations I am (was) a part of: I am currently the President of First Generation Aggies (FGA) and was a member of Texas A&M Economics Society (TAMES) and the Financial Planning Student Association (FPSA).

Current employment: I am currently a Peer Advisor for the Money Education Center.

Family ties to Texas A&M: I am a first-generation student and the first of my family to attend Texas A&M.

I chose to attend Texas A&M because… Texas A&M was the only university that felt like I belonged to when I set foot on campus during my NSC.

My favorite things to do on campus are… Any activities that is with my close friends. My close friends became a really close second family and anything on campus that involves them is an unforgettable memory.

When I have free time, I like… To learn new songs to play on the piano, spend time with close friends, play all kinds of sports, and learn new skills.

The craziest thing I’ve done is… Travel alone to New York City for two days for an apprenticeship. I used the last of my hours there to explore Manhattan with my overly-packed suitcase.

My favorite place to study is… Anywhere where there are other people studying (preferably a relatively quiet location). I get more motivation when I see fellow Aggies working hard.

My favorite ECON professor is… Dr. Edwardson.

My favorite part of being an Economics student is… Learning to view the world differently by understanding decision-making on either a macro or micro level.

If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with… George Kusunoki Miller (aka Joji). I am a huge fan of his music, and I think he is a down to earth person.

If I knew I could not fail, I would… Learn every language possible within a short time span. I plan to travel to all parts of the world, and it would be amazing to communicate with people from every region.

If money was not a consideration, I would love to… Retire my parents, make generous charitable contributions, and travel the world.

What is your passion and how are you committed to pursuing it? My greatest passion is to pass on my knowledge in the future to those who aren’t fortunate to have or be able to attend a proper education system. I plan to learn as much as I possibly can within my field because the more I know, the more I can teach. Eventually, I plan to create a non-profit that can provide free education to the less fortunate (from pre-school to a college degree). I am very committed to pursuing this.

After graduation, I plan to… Have a job lined up in the financial industry.

The one Texas A&M experience I will always remember is… Every fellow student, faculty, and staff that has supported me and my goals.