We had the good fortune of connecting with Maricres Castro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maricres, what do you want people to remember about you?
I would like my legacy to be one of kindness. I have served in over 9 countries on three different continents, and every step of the way — whether it was a disaster zone in Nepal and I was there as a medical responder to serving in a mud hut living in Zambia as a US Peace Corps Health Volunteer — people showed me the power of love and kindness to not allow their situations to define their capacity to love on a complete stranger and their families and community. I hope to show a legacy of elevating those stories of courageous love, a powerful kindness that unites us across generations, geographical boundaries, and socieconomic status to showcase our true humanity shines when our hearts are courageously vulnerable to love and to be loved, even in the most difficult circumstances— love overcomes.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It was not easy letting go of medical school and the idea of becoming a doctor — at least for now, and deciding to go a different route: to enter the arena of politics.

I serve on the City of Tacoma as a Commissioner for the Commission on Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. I also just became a finalist for the vacant City Councilor At-Large Position 7. From 43 applicants, I am one of 24 finalists that they will pick to be appointed.

And just saying that “if appointed, I would become the first Filipino City Councilor in Tacoma” gives me chills.

Representation matters. And letting go of what I thought I would become, and what everyone in my family and community expected I would become, was difficult. Especially for my Grandmother Dr. Expedita. I was supposed to follow in her footsteps, and becoming a politician isn’t the most admirable thing in Philippine culture. But being a scientist helps make her happy still.

I currently work full time as a scientist in a molecular biology lab in Seattle and I enjoy it. But I love people so I also work part time as an outreach coordinator for Asia Pacific Cultural Center in Tacoma. And that’s how I started my journey into politics, serving and being a part of community and advocating for services for our people.

I also love to sing on the Tacoma Refugee Choir and have found so much love and encouragement from our community. Work life balance is so important so I have time for what I do for the community, and also what I do for my career.

My career as a scientist and politician is wonderful, but I also crave the arts. I also work freelance as a runway model and have done New York Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, and more shows in the Philippines.

I have also had s successful career in Beauty Pageants that I believe helped me becoming the incredible spokeswoman I am today. From sponsoring an abandoned child and continuing to advocate for the over 2 million abandoned children on the streets of the Philippines to the over 600,000 foster care children, to serving as an Earth Day Network Youth Ambassador for Sustainable Fashion, being a part of beauty pageants has given me the opportunity to elevate these concerns and more.

And these skill sets greatly help me in my work in politics and as an outreach coordinator talking about vaccines and coordinating vaccine clinics. Everything is connected and I love to see how God truly creates my schedule because despite how busy things get, things seem to just work out!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would love to take them to my favorite view in Washington State, the Soundview Café in Pike Place Market where I used to work as a waitress in college, then introduce them to Tita Lei of O’mart who just won a James Beard Award American Classic for her Filipino Food, and how it brings me tears to see our culture be recognized as what makes our nation beautiful.

After that we would make our trip to Tacoma to the Woodland Park Zoo! Then have dinner at the Matador. The next day we would make our trip up north to 2nd beach in La Push, stop by Forks to see Twilight scenes, then backpack from our parking spot to enjoy the view the rest of the weekend.

On another trip we could visit Mt. Rainier or see the Olympic National Rainforest, but I feel like that would be a good introduction to our state!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shoutout my mother and father in Heaven who showed me that despite cancer, that does not stop us from loving people who are around us and finding joy in the little moments.

My mentor Dr. Steve Mitchell who taught me “where your deepest gladness meets the worlds deepest need, that’s where God does His work through your joy.”

My Grandmother Dr. Expedita Lumbao Castro who was the first doctor from our Agta Tabangnon Tribe in the Philippines. She even faced racism and discrimination when she started her residency in Ohio, coming from a small island in the Philippines as an indigenous brown woman, she stuck through it and paved the way for my father and our whole family to make our new life in America, eventually moving and settling down in Washington State where I was born.

My Grandfather Atty Jesse Robles Castro who was thrust into the jungles of guerrilla warfare at just 16 and was almost cut to pieces by a machine gun and survived by the grace of God to live and the reparations from the Philippine government he used to become an Attorney, meeting my grandmother in college. His story of courage reminds me of my duty to defending our country, how loving Jesus and being faithful to God gives us the courage to serve bravely, that God will make a way where there was no way; we will survive and we will thrive by God’s grace and our commitment to serve!

Dr. Tim Herron of the Act Six Scholarship who mentored me throughout their leadership program and taught us about loving our communities enough to be the positive change we need to see happen. expressed by Winston Churchill “The people did not love Rome because it was great, Rome was great because the people loved her.”

My Godmother Monica Elizaga who helped me choose my confirmation name in our faith as Theresa after St. Theresa of Liseux, the little flower, who devoted even small actions of sitting up straight unto God because this inspired me to devote my research and work as a scientist unto God too.

Dr. Tracie Delgado, my professor in college who taught me that even as a singer, too, she loves praising God in the choir, but reminded me that in my work in the lab to find a cure, even in the little things, seeking to understand even more and doing so humbly, that is singing God praises too.

My partner, Serghei Boldesco who encourages me to be an even fiercer advocate for myself and our communities. Who constantly reminds me that my voice is powerful and what I do matters.

My Grandmother Cresencia who served in World War II as a nurse and who raised 8 children. Her loving heart to her children and devotion to me as her “Apo” make me the woman I am today.

My Auntie Atty Honey Castro who became the first Asian Miss Washington America and inspires me to this day to sing and advocate and use all the talents God has given me to better represent our people and to be of service to community.

Instagram: @marmarcastro

Linkedin: https://youtube.com/user/PayoGal93

Twitter: @marmarcastro

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaricresCastro

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/PayoGal93

Other: https://www.mochimag.com/lifestyle/maricres-castro/

Image Credits
Clarence Santos

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