She learned to trust herself at Bellaire High
Discipline helped daughter of immigrants flourish in school’s JROTC, Arabic Club
When Bianca Rubio-Castaneda started her high school career, her self-esteem wasn’t especially strong.
Now, as she prepares to graduate from Bellaire High School, the 18-year-old Missouri City-area resident is confidently leading others. In the Bellaire Junior ROTC , RubioCastaneda is a cadet lieutenant colonel and cadet commander of the Bellaire Army JROTC Battalion.
Last fall, she became one of 29 cadets in the world to receive the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement, the second-highest honor a JROTC cadet can receive.
“It was so surreal,” she said. “I’m so beyond grateful. I can’t express it enough. A lot of the accomplishments I have now are because of JROTC.”
Those accomplishments include membership in the National Honor Society, Bellaire High School’s student government, the Arabic Club and choir.
“I like to keep an open mind and try different things,” Rubio-Castaneda said. “I think that kind of diversity is essen-
tial.”
But all of this started with JROTC. She joined as a freshman because she liked the uniforms, and it eventually became the one place she felt she fit in at school.
As a sophomore, however, she was asked to start assuming more responsibility.
“I had to march a platoon, and I hated it,” she recalled. “My instructors told me I couldn’t back down.”
As Rubio-Castaneda gained the respect of her instructors and her peers, she began to place more trust in herself.
She has had a similar experience building her skills and confidence in Arabic class.
Rubio-Castaneda said she chose Bellaire High for its language magnet program.
Spanish is her first language, and she started learning English as a kindergartener.
Now she’s in her fourth year of learning Arabic.
“I enjoy learning about it, not only the language, but also the culture,” Rubio-Castaneda said.
That’s not to say she hasn’t found the language challenging. Some of the sounds seemed almost identical to her at first.
“Keeping an open mind and listening has helped,” she said.
This school year, Rubio-Castaneda learned she has been admitted into the U.S. Naval Academy.
Her plans call for at least five years of service as a naval officer after graduation, followed at some point by service in the Peace Corps.
“Helping those around us and making a difference in some way is so important,” she said.
Her desire to serve in the military ties in with that belief, too.
She said she’s grateful to this country for the opportunities it gave her mother, originally from Mexico, and her father, originally from Honduras.
“I want to give back to my country for what it’s done for my parents,” Rubio-Castaneda said.
In addition to her school activities, Rubio-Castaneda loves playing with the family pets: two German shepherds and a Pomeranian. Rubio-Castaneda is the daughter of Jose Rubio and Gloria Castaneda. She has one brother, Alex, age 9.