Hart grad earns prestigious scholarship

Photo courtesy of Just Us Media

Pirate News is a presentation of Hart Public Schools in partnership with Oceana County Press. 

HART — Hart graduate Lluvia Burillo-Castro has earned an exciting opportunity to continue pursuing her dreams after being selected as a fall 2026 recipient of the University of Detroit Mercy’s prestigious Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship.

Burillo-Castro is transferring from West Shore Community College to the University of Detroit Mercy, where she will continue her education in architecture with the full tuition covered.

Her journey to this accomplishment has been marked by academic achievement and a commitment to serving others. In April 2025, Burillo-Castro was inducted into West Shore Community College’s Alpha Phi Phi Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Through her involvement with PTK, she found opportunities to give back to her campus community while developing her skills in service and leadership.

In her scholarship essay, Burillo-Castro credited the involvement of her mother and grandmother, Catalina Burillo and Penny Burillo, in their community with shaping her own understanding of service from an early age. Their example taught her that service isn’t about recognition, but about helping when you have the ability to do so—and that even small acts can have a lasting impact. It is a lesson she has carried with her: wherever you are, leave your community better than you found it and help create opportunities for others to thrive.

Those values have also shaped what Burillo-Castro hopes to accomplish as an architect. She wants to design more than buildings; she hopes to create spaces where people can find shelter, gather and feel a sense of belonging—places where families feel safe, children can play, and people can build meaningful connections with one another.

Burillo-Castro has also been recognized within her hometown community. The Community Foundation for Oceana County awarded her a Hager-Lacey scholarship in 2024 as a Hart High School student and again in 2026 while attending West Shore Community College.

From Hart High School to West Shore Community College and now the University of Detroit Mercy, Burillo-Castro’s journey reflects the values she learned growing up: work hard, look for ways to help others, and leave the community around you a little better than you found it.

For her family and those who have watched her work toward her goals, it is an especially proud moment—and an exciting beginning to what comes next.

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