Max Castillo has already earned an associates degree from Moraine Valley Community college and is working on a second degree in science, and he hasn’t even finished high school yet.

“I love school so much,” said Castillo, a senior at Evergreen Park Community High School. “It’s so dynamic … really whenever you take a course, it’s like opening a whole new world to you.”

That love is evidenced in his accomplishments. He packed the requisite credits for an associate’s degree in General Studies, typically a two-year endeavor, in a single year, all while making sure his high school classes weren’t neglected.

Castillo is hoping his academic efforts will be a springboard to becoming a physician scientist, a goal inspired by his own medical challenges. He suffers from a neurocardiological disorder that plays havoc with his blood pressure, an autoimmune disorder that includes gluten sensitivity, and a connective tissue disorder that sometimes makes his joints unstable. They’ve made him all the more motivated about doing research.

“These conditions have definitely impacted my wanting to help those with similar conditions,” said Max. “All these conditions work in relationship with each other.”

In elementary school, Max was out of school for months at a time, much of it because of his gluten sensitivity. He had planned to attend EPCHS in person, but the pandemic got in the way and he and his parents decided it might be too risky and attendance was easy enough via Zoom.

He spends much of his time at MVCC and is also taking a biochemistry course at University of Illinois Chicago, as a dual degree student, who is interested in biomolecular therapeutics.

“Growing up as an individual with an autoimmune condition and several disabilities, I love learning about the immune system,” Castillo said.He said his academic success would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of his parents and teachers.

His mom was able to research and tease out the relationships between his various diseases, taking time from her own job in data analysis, he said, adding his parents also have spent considerable time chauffeuring him to classes at MVCC and UIC.

“They’ve encouraged me so much on my journey,” Castillo said. “I really could not have done so much without their support.”

At EPCHS, he received encouragement from guidance counselor Eileen Durkin, who helped him navigate his college classes, and several science teachers, including Kevin Knapik, his sophomore AP biology instructor.

As a junior he had Bryn Zingrebe in honors chemistry, who helped him with the organic chemistry course he took at MVCC.

“I was most impressed by his curiosity and self-advocacy skills,” Zingrebe said. “Max is the type of student who confidently seeks out challenges.

“Due to his attention to detail, dedication and perseverance, I truly believe that Max could be successful in any field.”

At MVCC, he was singled out by Christian Condeiu, an adjunct professor of Chemistry, who worked closely with Max and was wowed by not only his knowledge and ability but also Castillo’s interactions with fellow students.

“Max is a brilliant, hard-working and disciplined student,” Condeiu said. “What makes Max a good experimentalist is his ability to apply critical thinking in solving problems, as well as being equally comfortable and efficient in independent or team-based work.

“What makes Max even more special is his maturity, despite the fact that he is still in high school,” Condeiu added.

Castillo has his sights set on MIT, though he is keeping his options open.

For now, he often hangs out at MVCC in an office for Phi Theta Kappa members and for which he is the vice president of service and is helping to plan the upcoming Fitness and Recreational Center’s annual Halloween 5K.

At EPCHS, Max is a member of Student Leadership, the National Honor Society, one of two merit semifinalists, and enjoys the Culinary Club.

“I love baking because it’s really sort of a challenge being gluten sensitive and allergic. It’s probably what I do to de-stress the most,” he said, adding he also enjoys reading, riding his bike with friends and going grocery shopping.

He’s won a number of awards at Evergreen Park Community, including the College Board AP Scholar Award and the school’s Science Student of the Year.

Max also finds time to help out the Ariel Rosado Foundation in Belize, where his parents are from. He said the community only has one private high school and he helps students obtain scholarships to attend. He’s also working on developing a tutoring and mentoring program there.

“My parents had heard about this organization,” he said. “They’ve always been about giving back to the community.”

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.