Castillo wows audience during Lockhart visit

GCCHCC

The Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Dr. Eugene Clark Library on Oct. 12 co-hosted an intimate meet and greet with April Hernandez Castillo. Castillo gave a motivational speech about her trials and tribulations of how she became who she is today, an actress, author, and speaker.

Following her speech, Castillo did a by a book signing with pictures.

Castillo is a survivor and advocate for intimate partner violence. Best known for her performance as “Eva” in the hit movie Freedom Writers, starring Hilary Swank, Castillo was living in the Hollywood dream. She started on TV shows such as Person of Interest, Law & Order: SVU, Dexter, and New Amsterdam to name a few. However, behind the glitz and glamor was a woman dealing secretly with a traumatic past.

From growing up in the tough streets of the Bronx during the crack epidemic to being in an abusive relationship as a teenager, to almost taking her own life, Castillo’s future looked bleak.

Her new bookEmbracing Me (A Memoir) is Castillo’s inspirational story of resilience, forgiveness, and overcoming adversity.