By Alysen Boston, University Marketing and Communications, WSU Insider
In high school, Jo Castaneda Gonzalez never thought he’d go to a university.
“I was a horrible student,” he said. “I don’t know how they let me graduate. I just didn’t care.”
Now, he’s a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, a recipient of the Scott and Linda Carson Undergraduate Research Excellence Award, and he helped mentor other students at WSU through the Leadership in STEM through Applied Mentoring Program. He graduated May 9 in Pullman, one of WSU’s top ten seniors for 2026.
“I never expected to achieve something so huge,” said Castaneda Gonzalez, who hails from Everson, Washington, and Guanajuato, Mexico. “But, when I transferred to WSU, I was like, ‘Why not me?’ We’re all capable of succeeding in whatever endeavor we have. It might be the hardest thing you’ll ever experience, but it’s always worth it.”
Castaneda Gonzalez’s parents always pushed him to pursue an education despite his apathy toward school. He ended up getting an associate’s degree in science from Whatcom Community College before transferring to WSU in 2023.
“Progress isn’t always linear, and that is okay,” he said. “The important thing is to always persevere or fall forward, and to continue to develop your foundation.”
Progress isn’t always linear, and that is okay.
Jo Castaneda Gonzalez, 2026 graduate
Washington State University
When he first started at WSU, Castaneda Gonzalez took an organic chemistry class that inspired him to switch his major from pre-med neuroscience to biochemistry.
“I find chemistry to be an art form because of how much you can do with it,” he said. “It teaches us about the things that occur in our world, why leaves change colors, the making of drugs, the materials of our shirts, the transformation of things around us.”
He is also graduating from the Honors College.
Castaneda Gonzalez is pursuing a PhD in organic chemistry at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
“I would love to become a research professor, where I would continue to do research and mentor students,” he said. “The other interest of mine is to work at an industrial pharmaceutical company to help develop the next generation of medicines.”