Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Carlos Castellanos-Mendoza

Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 is National Hispanic Heritage month. During this time, it is important to acknowledge the influence and contribution that Hispanic culture and achievements have had in the United States. We are proud of our Hispanic athletes and will be highlighting them throughout the month. We asked hispanic varsity athlete Carlos Castellanos-Mendoza about his culture and experience.
 

YEAR: Sophomore

ESPORT: Overwatch

MAJOR: Computer Science

HOMETOWN: San Luis, AZ

Q: What inspired you to become a varsity athlete?

A: I was introduced to Esports when I was in 5th grade, at the time I was a massive Call of Duty fan. That led to playing League of Legends and learning more about what it means to play a video game competitively. Overwatch was the first game I decided to play competitively, after grazing top 500 on the ranked ladder I learned that there is a lot of nuance to the game at a pro level. Exploring that deep understanding of a game is what inspired me to join varsity.

Q: Do you have any role models that inspire you at school or at home?

A: Definitely my mom.

Q: Have you experienced any challenges in school? How did you overcome them?

A: The biggest challenge I faced was moving to Tucson and living on campus my freshman year. It was stressful being truly on my own for the first time, I didn’t know many people. I heard about the gaming club on campus and decided to get involved just to make some friends, which led to me playing Overwatch for the club team and now the varsity team. In a big way, this game helped me find a community and sense of belonging on campus which was really important to me my freshman year.

Q: Tell me about your family and community growing up.

A: I grew up in a border town, my house was about five minutes away from the Port of Entry, so I grew up in a mostly Hispanic community.

Q: What does being part of the Hispanic community mean to you?

A: Being part of Hispanic community to me means being able to connect with people on a different level, being able to have a different understanding with someone knowing that we are from the same background.

Q: Has being Hispanic influenced the way you approach your studies or esports?

A: Ponte Las Pilas. That’s a saying my mom would always tell me, haha. Hard work and resilience are traits I’ve gotten coming from a Mexican background, I learned these traits watching my Grandpa work and listening to his stories. Balancing studies and esports is hard, whenever life knocks me down I know how to get back up and continue pushing towards my goals.

Q: What are your goals for after graduation?

A: I’m hoping to finish my degree in Computer Science and certificates in Cybersecurity and manage/develop security systems for a company.