As a senior international student at Indiana University Indianapolis, Sofia Castillo has taken pride in representing her hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, and everything that has come with being the only international player from Mexico on the women’s tennis team.
“I definitely feel proud to be able to represent my country to a high level athletics and education-wise as well,” Castillo said. “I think that being here in the United States has helped me realize how proud I am to be from Mexico and how proud I am of everything that my parents have accomplished.”
Her involvement in tennis started at a young age and stems from her family’s interest in the sport.
“I started playing tennis when I was probably five years old. My family loved tennis, and they opened a tennis academy five minutes from my house. They decided to sign my brother and me up,” Castillo said.
During her time as a Jaguar, Castillo has shown character on and off the tennis court. As a sophomore, she totaled six singles wins, including one Horizon League singles victory. She also defeated Oakland’s No. 6 player in two sets, earning four doubles wins, including one conference win. Additionally, along with doubles partner Gabbie Orlando, defeated Oakland’s No. 3 doubles team that year. Castillo has also shown consistency academically, being named to the Horizon League Honor Roll and the spring and fall Academic Advisors lists all four years.
Castillo’s resilience was also on display as she navigated an injury her junior year. While the physical mental challenges of rehab were demanding, she still earned Scholar-Athlete honors (ITA). During her recovery, Castillo supported her teammates as a student assistant coach, an experience through which she continued to learn and grow as a player.
“I was able to coach my teammates, you know, basically coaching on court and just being there for them. Not just physically, because sometimes you just need someone to be there for you but also advise them on what they should do in the next point, just cheering for them, and taking on that role,” Castillo said. “It allowed me to see tennis in a different perspective. And I think I learned a lot more from tennis, watching my teammates than actually playing.”
Reflecting on her experience, Castillo is thankful for many of the support systems that made her transition a positive one, including family members, teammates, and community members who were there for her throughout the process.
“I was grateful enough to have other family members to guide me through it. But it definitely was a transition leaving my country, leaving my mom and my dad, and all my friends, and my language, everything that I knew, and just move abroad,” She said. “I definitely was homesick, and I missed home a lot and thought about what my life would be like back in Mexico. But the more that I got involved on campus, athletics, and my community, the more that I had a sense of belonging. And that's when I knew that I wanted to stay and live a life here.”
Transitioning to the next phase of her life with her graduation from the Herron School of Design with a Visual Communication Design degree on May 16, Castillo is grateful for the lessons in resilience and discipline learned throughout her time at IU Indianapolis.
“It allowed me to be who I am today and tennis opened many doors for me because a lot of job interviews and grad school interviews ask about what it is like to be a student athlete,” Castillo said. “You have to manage hours of practice, traveling, weights, your diet, and your mental and physical health, all while going to school. So I think it just really allowed me to become a person. And I'm just grateful for this sport.”
Castillo is hopeful that tennis will have a role in her life after graduation, and hopes to continue playing it as a pastime.
“I'm graduating this semester and would like to continue playing tennis for fun. I'm thinking about seeing if there's a league or something that I can join, and rather than being competitive, just playing for fun,” Castillo said. “I've heard that tennis is a sport that allows you to stay healthy your entire life, so I'm trying to figure out what my next step with tennis would be like but I think it just leaves me with all the lessons, and the relationships, and friendships that I've made along the way.”
Jocelyn Quintana is a sophomore majoring in communications studies and psychology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing piano, and keeping up with her favorite soccer, basketball, football, and baseball teams.
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