With upcoming memorial services, students remember Leo Castillo

One week after the death of Leo Castillo, an S-House Freshman, the Samo community has banded together, paying tribute to the sixteen-year-old and moving forward in the process. Later this week, a number of memorial services will be held in Santa Monica, including a slideshow in Barnum Hall and a funeral mass at Saint Anne’s Church.On May 11th, students were informed of the accident during their third period class, where teachers read a prepared statement from Principal Eva Mayoral.“We are all saddened by this news,” the statement said. “Our thoughts are with Leo’s family and friends at this difficult time.According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the sixteen-year-old was operating a motorized scooter before he was struck by a car on the intersection of 26th street and Olympic Blvd. Leo was accompanied by a single passenger, and both were transported to a local hospital where Leo later passed on. The passenger, whose name has not been disclosed, remains in critical condition.The driver of the vehicle, a 73-year-old male from Los Angeles, remained at the location of the incident. Police say he was entirely cooperative, and they detected no influence of drugs or alcohol. After being interviewed, he was released pending further investigation.To help students cope with their grief, administrators solicited the help of school psychologists who were readily available to speak the library. And while some sought guidance from staff members, others remembered Leo by erecting memorials around campus. In front of Barnum Hall, a smiling picture of Leo is surrounded by candles, flags and other mementos. In the breezeway next to the admin building, an extended poster board allows students to write personalized messages to Leo — many reflected on Leo’s life and extend their final goodbyes.In addition to these tributes, the Samo community has raised over 60,000 dollars to pay for Leo’s funeral expenses. This was accomplished through a school-wide donation drive and a public “GoFundMe” page — a crowdfunding website where anyone can donate to a range of different causes and charities. In just three days, the page has amassed 725 shares and almost $22,000 dollars in donations. Elena Chico (’15), the Samo student who first created the page, seemed to embody the communal spirit that’s permeated Santa Monica.“I didn't know Leo personally, but from what I have heard, he always had a smile on in his face and [he] could brighten any room he entered,” Chico said. “His friends and teachers will forever miss his outgoing personality. I hope we as a community can come together and raise the money that is needed for a fellow student.”Last Thursday evening, Mayoral had a personal meeting with the Castillo family, giving them the 32,000 dollars the donation drive had collected at the time. Since then, the drive has collected over 40,000 dollars. The next day, Mayoral emailed Samo staff members in which she recalled the details of the encounter.“The mom, dad, and a whole living room full of family, were awash with an infectious tidal wave of tears and raw emotion,” Mayoral wrote. “Suffice to say, they feel themselves embraced by our collective Samohi hug. I love that everyone saw their contribution, whether it was a handful of coins or a check for 1000 dollars, as equally valuable and important.”All students are invited to the memorial services below:Slideshow of Leo — Thursday, May 21 at Lunch in Barnum HallViewing —   Friday, May 22 at 7 pm at Saint Anne's ChurchMass — Saturday, May 23 at 12:00 pm at Saint Anne's ChurchBurial — Immediately following the mass at Woodlawn Cemetery