Gadsden Elementary School District #32 is celebrating the accomplishment of one of its alumni. Darianna Castillo has just been named a 2025 La Excelencia Latina Award from the National Association for Gifted Children.
According to a release from GESD, Castillo is the only junior high school student in the nation to be honored with the award.
La Excelencia Latina Award — directly translated as The Latin Excellence Award — is meant to recognize the achievements of highly gifted students of Hispanic or Latin descent.. Sponsored by the NAGC’s Special Populations Network, the award celebrates academic excellence and aims to elevate the accomplishments of students who represent the strength and potential of the Latin community in gifted education.
This year, five recipients were named. Each will receive a $300 cash award and a mentoring opportunity along with the distinction of being formally recognized at the 2025 NAGC Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
A Gadsden student from kindergarten through 8th grade, Castillo made GESD history with her academic accomplishments. In May 2025, she graduated from Southwest Junior High as valedictorian and became the first student in the district to complete junior high with an associate’s degree from Arizona Western College.
"Darianna was my student for three years and in all 18 years since the Early College Program started, we've never seen a student as responsible and as committed to her education as her," said Jesus Arrizon, a mentor teacher of Castillo's. "As a 7th grader and 8th grader she would come to my after school tutoring class and help the 6th graders. Even now she is planning to do some volunteering work with our current ECP students. She is such a great student never failing to amaze us with her dedication and her big heart for helping others."
Raul Rojas Valadez, another mentor teacher of Castillo's during her time at Southwest Junior High, also observed that that she was a trailblazer in the Early College Program.
"She was the first 5th grader to enroll in my college beginning algebra class and the first 6th grader to successfully complete the college Pre-Calculus course," he said. "Her hunger for knowledge made being her teacher a fun challenge. I could not be prouder of her academic accomplishments and her commitment to seeing others succeed. Despite her college workload as an 8th grader, Darianna often stayed after school to help the 5th and 6th graders attending the ACT after-school tutoring program."
The GESD governing board and superintendent are also proud of Castillo's accomplishments.
“Darianna’s recognition at the national level is a reflection of her talent and dedication to academic excellence,” said Superintendent Lizette Esparza. “We are incredibly proud to see one of our own being honored among the best and brightest students in the country.”
The 2025 NAGC Annual Convention will be held in November, which Castillo will be able to attend with family for her recognition.
This reporting is supported by a grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation.
