By Zyer Henry, Lawton MacArthur High School
Envision, a path with three crossroads lies in front of you, crossroads that will change the course of your future, for better or worse. Journalism, broadcasting and psychology are these crossroads for Santos Castaneda. A choice that he’s going to need to make within the coming years.
Santos, a 16-year-old on the verge of becoming a senior at Bartlesville High School, is undecided on what he may want to major in college, but with the three options that he has decided on, there are plenty of open fields of opportunity.
“I like to analyze songs and their meanings, for example, why they said what they said.” Casteneda said.
Santos is heavily focused on psychology and what causes brain function. Whether it would be studying a song’s meaning or people, Santos is truly invested in the way people are, and why they do what they do.
Santos’ interest in the human mind would seem to give psychology an upper hand among his choices of majors. Santos wants to understand how the mind works and why — or rather how — mental disorders develop such as depression, anxiety and disordered eating.
“I find comfort in analyzing things in the absence of, I guess, people not analyzing me,” Santos said.
But Santos also considers becoming a journalist another possibility, due to the fact that he’s considerably comfortable studying and interviewing people.
Moreover, Santos is fairly invested in broadcasting in his high school, whether it’d be filming an interview,editing videos or even anchoring, Santos has had his fair share of broadcasting, even as a rising senior.
“Being a minority and a flamboyant man, it would be really hard,” Casteneda said.
Santos believes that it may be tougher for him considering the fact that he is a flamboyant African American male.
Meanwhile, Santos has found an extreme interest in the book “They Both Die at the End,” enjoys writing Haiku poetry and has had a slight “cupcake craze” when it comes to his baking. He also enjoys stargazing and prefers to view Orion’s Belt, and loves to play “Stardew Valley” and “Dead by Daylight” with friends.
Finally, when it comes to his college choices so far, OU and Baker University in Kansas, are on his short list.
It seems Santos has found his road to walk.
