On June 6, 2017, Marcos Castro, longtime Team DSC® friend and colleague, took the Oath of Allegiance that completed his journey to becoming a United States citizen.
Born in Mexico, Marcos has consistently dedicated his life to being a good citizen – for his community, his friends, and most especially for his wife and two young children. This can be witnessed in the high level of care and skill he commits to every DSC and Desert Star Concierge®® project and the genuine sense of camaraderie and respect he extends to every person he meets.
Though his likeable manner and bright smile would have you think he has only lived a carefree life, Marcos’ path has not always been easy. After completing his first year in college, Marcos realized he would have to leave his birth country of Mexico if he wanted the freedom to live a good life based on merit and hard work. This was the moment he looked to the United States to pursue his dreams.
When he first arrived in Arizona, he and two friends started to look for work as skilled laborers. In their search, they approached Murray Herron of Accent Design, hoping to find an opportunity to work with one of the best craftsmen in the state. Despite their best efforts, Murray simply had no available jobs to offer. As they walked away and added Accent Design to their growing list of job denials, Marcos held fast to his dreams and told his friends that one day, he would find a way to work for Accent Design. His friends laughed at him and thought he was crazy. Regardless of their criticism, Marcos stayed the course and never doubted himself or his path.
Leaning on his community for faith and inspiration, Marcos listened closely to mentors who told him that if he wanted to lead a good life and eventually become a citizen of the United States, he had to start right away to be a good person, a good citizen, a good father, and a good worker. Not wasting a single moment, Marcos made the most of every opportunity and kind gesture that came his way, no matter how humbling.
He recalled a good friend opening his home, giving him one month to earn enough money to support himself and purchase a car so he could travel to work. Earning just $7 an hour, Marcos saved enough money to move out on his own and purchase a Geo Prism that was barely on its last leg. With the help of another friend, he repaired the car, obtained the proper license plates and insurance, and continued his pursuit of working in construction.
Slowly but surely, Marcos’ skill, dedication, and positive attitude led him back to Accent Design where he was hired to build many of the company’s signature spiral staircases. These opportunities eventually brought him to work with Desert Star Construction. When the downturn hit the world and rocked the entire construction industry to its core, Marcos found himself in need of additional work and created an opportunity to begin supporting Team DSC® on a more regular basis. With Murray’s blessing, Marcos was hired by DSC as a fulltime employee in 2009.
Since joining the team, Marcos has earned the highest regard from his colleagues and the clients he has served in construction and today with Desert Star Concierge®®. He continues his education by completing English language courses and refining his skills as a property manager.
Even among these many personal accomplishments, Marcos counts the day he earned his U.S. citizenship as one of his proudest, only coming a close second to marrying his wife, raising his two young sons, and continuing his strong relationship with his mother who he has gone back to visit every year since leaving Mexico in 2006. His greatest goal today is to ensure the future he shares with his family by providing for them, being a good person for them and the community, and by becoming a U.S. citizen.
When asked how he feels about being a U.S. citizen, Marcos replied:
“I have a strong sense of pride. You can be whatever you want to be here. You can study for anything you want and you will find a job, but you have to be up for the challenge. In the United States, it is a different way of life than where I come from in Mexico. I feel very, very happy… this is home. This is my home now.”
In front of a room full of candidates taking the oath to become U.S. citizens, Marcos was one of four people asked to share his thoughts with his peers and their supporters. Team DSC® is so proud to have been in attendance to capture this day and this very special moment with our friend and colleague.
Congratulations, Marcos!
Thank you for being an outstanding member of our team and for inspiring us every day with your spirit, hard work, and honorable pursuit of the American Dream.