Growing up in Lynn, MA, Brian Castellanos ’12 faced housing instability, the abandonment of his step mother, the loss of a brother, and mental health struggles that left him in “survival mode.”

“For kids in my situation, the idea of attending college seemed impossible,” says Castellanos, whose father immigrated from Venezuela. “Entering the school-to-prison pipeline was more likely. But the Lynn School System and the teachers at Lynn English High School helped me get my grades up and point me in the right direction.”

Today, Castellanos is a social worker and supervisor with almost a decade of experience protecting some of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable children, as well as a four-term at-large member of the Lynn School Committee. In that role, he has focused on increasing social-emotional learning (SEL) supports across the district. He credits his passion for social justice and service to those facing similar struggles to the foundation he built at Framingham State.

“I found my voice in college and learned that what I represented as a first-generation student was bigger than me,” he says. “I had such a village of social and emotional support at FSU—from (Head Football Coach) Tom Kelley to professors like Patricia Sanchez-Connally, who gave me the tools and knowledge to make an impact.”

Castellanos says the resources available to students at Framingham State helped him thrive in ways that went far beyond the classroom.

“I was engaging in therapy in the Counseling Center, which was really important having experienced significant childhood traumas,” he says. “My professors and the Career Development Office helped me network, land internships, and build the social capital I lacked growing up as an at-risk youth.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree in Criminology from Framingham State, Castellanos completed a master’s degree in Criminal Justice at Salem State. In 2020, he broke a 15-year cycle of housing instability by purchasing his first home in Lynn, where he now lives with his wife and young daughter.

Castellanos often cites a quote that inspires his work from the contemporary author Frank Warren, “It's the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it.”

In addition to his job as a social worker and school committee member, Castellanos serves as an elected trustee for SEIU Local 509, representing nearly 20,000 human service workers and educators across Massachusetts. He also volunteers with several nonprofits and has run the Boston Marathon three times for Horizons for Homeless Children, raising nearly $45,000.

“Framingham State gave me a shot,” he says. “It immediately felt like home, and it was my safe haven at that time. I learned so many valuable lessons that have put me in the position I am today, where I can help my community.”

Fifteen years after wondering if college was even possible, Castellanos now spends his life helping others see that it is.