By: Andrea Azzo, Public Information Specialist
Shepard High School senior Carlos Castillo has won the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship—worth up to $40,000 and including a paid summer internship at Amazon.
The 400 scholarship winners were announced on April 15 and were celebrated at the tech company’s Seattle headquarters on May 8.
Castillo is one of 22 Illinois recipients of the scholarship. He plans to attend Illinois State University in the fall and major in computer science.
“This definitely means a lot,” Castillo said. “A little more than a year ago, my mother passed away from cancer. Pursuing some of my interests helped me during the grieving process and gave me a sense of control. I was able to find enjoyment in programming.”
Castillo earned national recognition for his skills in C++ programming. He competed at the Business Professionals of America (BPA) National Leadership Conference, held from May 7-11 in Orlando.
School community support: ‘We felt that love’
Castillo credited the Shepard community with guiding him after his mother’s death. His older sister, Samantha Castillo, is a physical education (PE) teacher’s assistant at the Palos Heights school. He also leaned on his teachers, especially Jack Egeling, his former Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teacher.
“He was a very big motivator for me,” Castillo said. “He was one of the most interesting and helpful teachers I've ever met. I really needed the support from him. He helped me with navigating some interesting dilemmas and preparing for the future.”
Egeling, who now teaches physics at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago, said he supported Castillo in his grief through empathy. Egeling’s father died when he was a junior in high school.
“You have to be a human in difficult moments like this,” Egeling said. “I think he recognized that a teacher had his back.”
Shepard High School assisted the Castillo family with financial donations.
“Everyone at the school and district was incredible in showing their support for us,” said Samantha Castillo, who became her brother’s guardian following their mother’s death. “We felt that love from them.”
Video games fostered interest in computer science
When Carlos Castillo was in fifth grade, he built video games on a website called Flowlab and competed in their competitions. That’s where his interest in software engineering began.
“I remember I got frustrated at this computer game I had one time, so I decided to make a very similar one that I could play more successfully,” he said. “I made it, and I had a blast making it.”
Castillo was a member of Shepard’s Gaming Club during his freshman year. He also once played Super Smash Bros. with his former physics teacher, a moment that left a lasting impact.
“I’m extremely proud of him, and I’m excited to see where he goes,” Egeling said.
While Castillo is still mulling his career choices, he wants to solve problems and create platforms that he owns. He shared some advice for others who may need motivation.
“Keep doing new things and find what you're good at,” he said.
“He is genuinely an incredible brother,” Samantha Castillo said. “My mom would be proud of him.”