Lake in national spotlight

 
OLLU alumna Rosie Castro listening to her son Mayor
Julián Castro deliver the keynote address at the
Democratic National Convention.
The historic keynote address delivered by San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) brought prime-time media attention to Our Lady of the Lake University, one of its distinguished alumna – Rosie Castro (BA Spanish ‘70, BA Sociology ‘75), and the Sisters of Divine Providence.

Network television cameras captured Rosie, time after time, listening proudly as her son, Julián, invoked her work ethic and values as he made history -- the first Hispanic to deliver the keynote address at the DNC.

“My mother fought hard for civil rights so that instead of a mop, I could hold this microphone,” Castro said of Rosie, a long-time community activist. “And while she may be proud of me tonight,” Julian said, turning to look at Rosie, seated next to his wife and daughter, “I gotta tell you. Mom, I'm even more proud of you.”

Rosie beamed. The convention floor exploded with cheers. An ABC Nightline story that aired after the keynote address included an interview with Rosie, who discussed raising Julian and his twin brother Joaquín, a State Representative running for Congress. “They have a lot of internal discipline,” she said. “We didn’t have sometimes this or that. But this or that wasn’t as important as having each other and having a good time with the money we did have.”

The Nightline story showed a video clip of Julián Castro at OLLU in August for the ribbon-cutting of the 24th Street Improvement Project. Addressing Sisters from the Congregation of Divine Providence, students, faculty and staff, Julián made a speech-related request: “I wanted to ask y’all to say a little prayer for me because I think I’m going to need it.” 

CNN also featured Rosie prominently in an online story about Julián and Joaquín. The piece describes how Rosie Castro inspired Julián's political future from her own roots as president of the Young Democrats at Our Lady of the Lake University.

At OLLU, Rosie wasn’t the only future parent of a mayor. A year before she graduated with her first bachelor’s in 1970, Martin Garza earned his master’s degree in Social Work. Martin became the father of Ed Garza, who served as a City Councilman from 1997-2001, and as mayor from 2001-2005. Ed married a schoolteacher, Anna Laura Gonzalez, who graduated from OLLU in 1990 with a degree in early elementary education.

 
San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro addressing his mother, OLLU alumna Rosie Castro, during the Democratic National
Convention.

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