Diane Andrade Castro, Class of 1970

Educator and Entrepreneur

While at Tucson High, Miss Martin selected Diane to join the Cactus Chronicle staff. She wrote weekly columns where she honed her interviewing, writing, editing and leadership skills. During her senior year, Diane was named co-editor of the Chronical, responsible for editing each article, using manual typewriters, scissors, and glue to make a prototype, then transporting the draft to the printing company. She also wrote monthly articles for the Tucson Citizen’s Teen Page.

Diane graduated in the top 20 percent of the class of 1970. The first in her family to consider college, she applied only to the University of Arizona. That summer, the Coordinator of New Start  contacted Diane. Her job was to guide UA students who qualified for financial aid and were first in their family to attend college. Upon graduating with a B.A. in Education, Diane was appointed Coordinator of New Start. Quickly, she was promoted to Assistant Dean of Students and the first Director of New Start. At 21, she was the youngest college dean in the country.

While serving students, Diane also danced with Pima College Baile Folklórico, served on the first AZ Supreme Court Foster Care Review Board, and earned a M.Ed. in Higher Education (UA 1980). During 1982-1989, she was the Associate Director of Recruitment, then during 1989-1995 she was the Associate Director of Admissions for Recruitment. For 21 years, Diane searched, recruited, organized, and advocated for students who were first in their families to attend the UA.

Next, she became an entrepreneur. From 1995 to 2012, she was co-owner with husband Jesús Castro of Arquitectura, Ltd. They designed many projects including the YWCA’s Frances McClelland Community Center and the Placita Monsignor Carrillo. Additional community service included President of the YWCA Board, the National YWCA Nominating Committee, President of the UA Hispanic Alumni Association and UA Alumni Board.

The Arizona Daily Star featured Diane’s family story on July 4, 2020, about her mother dying due to COVID and her own hospitalization to put local faces to the pandemic. She now lives in her childhood home and is part of a CDC long range COVID study.