Reading Collegiate Scholar pays it forward at former elementary school

Alvernia University's Reading Collegiate Scholars Program (RCSP) gives inner-city students an opportunity to rise above challenging circumstances by preparing them to attend and succeed at college. In turn, RCSP members provide service and improve life for people in Greater Reading and beyond.

Justin Abreu-Castro '21 paid it forward by tutoring first- and second-grade students at the same elementary school he attended as a child.

Coming from a single-parent household, the Reading High School graduate knew he wanted to attend Alvernia but was unsure how to fund his education. That’s when his mother stepped in.

“I come from a family with a limited income," he said. "So, my mother encouraged me to look at scholarships available to attend Alvernia."

Abreu-Castro got the call in May 2017 that his tuition would be covered in full through the RCSP.

“It was a big relief when I got the scholarship,” he said.

Through his work-study position at the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement, the accounting major worked with students at Tyson-Schoener Elementary School in the Reading School District.

Abreu-Castro hopes to make a lasting impact in the lives of the inner-city students he tutors.

“I’m happy to be someone these kids can look up to," he said. "Hopefully, I can inspire the students to do what they want to do in life.

"Participating in service teaches me to be humble and appreciate what I have."