A Legacy of Heart: Four Decades at Palo Alto College

Submitted by: Rafael C. Castillo, Palo Alto Professor of English, Founding Faculty Member
Theme : Memory

When I think back to the earliest days of Palo Alto College, I can still picture our first offices—just outside the edge of Kelly Air Force Base, tucked into the Billy Mitchell strip mall. The window displayed the Palo Alto College logo, a small but proud emblem of a big dream taking shape.

We didn’t have a whole campus yet because the college was being built. The physical buildings opened in the Spring of 1987. Until then, we taught nearby at the Southwest Center or in space provided by Harlandale School District.  My first class had only six students, and most of the other courses had about the same number. Yet those early experiences were intimate and full of purpose. The teaching was deeply personal, and the students thrived under that one-on-one attention.

What kept me at Palo Alto College for the next four decades was that unmistakable sense of familia. From the very beginning, everyone greeted each other with warmth and respect. There was energy in the air, a shared belief that we were building something meaningful for our community.

Since 1985, close to a million students have walked through our doors, each one adding a new story to our history. I’ve often said that Palo Alto College is the Corazón of the Southside, and that spirit has stayed close to my heart ever since. Over the years, the college has grown and flourished in ways that once seemed unimaginable.

Two milestones stand out to me: the opening of the Ozuna Library and the Performing Arts Center. These spaces symbolize not just physical growth, but intellectual and cultural expansion—a commitment to nurturing both the mind and the spirit. Even the vibrant “enchilada red” color of the performing arts building seems to reflect our identity: warm, bold, and welcoming, much like the South Side community we serve.

My forty-year journey at Palo Alto College has been profoundly rewarding. Together with my colleagues, we have helped shape a strong curriculum and build partnerships with area universities that have opened doors for countless students and faculty. The recognition and national awards Palo Alto College has earned over the years speak to our collective dedication. But what truly moves me most are the alumni who continue to stay connected—those who come back, give back, and remind us why we do this work. Their success is our legacy.

Within the English Department, I have been fortunate to work among talented educators who live the very subjects they teach. Our writing instructors are writers and scholars in their field; our poets are creators and innovators; our theatre faculty are artists and performers. That authenticity has always set Palo Alto College apart. It creates a living bridge between learning and doing—between the classroom and the larger world.

Looking back, I realize that my time here has never been just about teaching. It has been about community—about belonging to something greater than myself. The friendships, the laughter, the students who grew into teachers, leaders, and creators—all of it forms a tapestry that I will forever carry with me.

As Palo Alto College continues to evolve, I hope that future generations of faculty and students will hold fast to the values that built this institution—excellence, creativity, and compassion. These qualities define who we are and what we stand for.

Palo Alto College remains, as ever, the Corazón of the Community—and I am humbled to know that a small part of my heart will always beat within it.

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Rafael C. Castillo, Ph.D., is a founding English faculty member of Palo Alto College. His work appears regularly in The San Antonio Express-News, NISOD, and other academic journals. He is the author of three collections of fiction and a collection of essays.