As Mayor Julián Castro prepares to depart San Antonio for our nation's capital, last night the area chambers of commerce hosted a community celebration in his honor.
In San Antonio style, people came to honor the man who has led the city for the last five years. The community, business leaders and city staff members came to hear Castro say goodbye.
Castro said the most special day he has had as mayor was welcoming the kids to Pre-K 4 SA last summer.
"The parents seemed nervous; some of them were crying," he said. "But the kids seemed very excited. Well, some of them were crying too. But they mostly seemed excited. If I've tried to do anything as mayor it has been to look beyond the things that we can throw a stone at or that we can say that we've accomplished within a couple of years and to think about those things that are longer lasting like the education of a young person or the health and fitness of our senior citizens."
As Castro leaves, others are focused on the initiatives, like Pre-K 4 SA, that he will leave behind.
During his goodbye, he almost seemed to give marching orders to city and community leaders. He said the most important thing to do is continue the vision set out by the public in the SA2020 plan. That encompasses numerous areas like education, health, and civic engagement.
Castro said he has been blessed with opportunities that have helped him reach his dreams. The first thing he hung up in his office as mayor was a poster from his mother's 1971 city council campaign that she didn't win. But he said she put the wind in the sails of many others.
"I think that not only did young folks like me win, but San Antonio won, and San Antonio has won," Castro said. "Thank you."
Castro begins his job with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on July 28.
