Christian Castro
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Education
Southern Methodist University
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| Master of Science in Data Science |
GPA: 3.7 (December 2025) |
Relevant Coursework: Statistics for Data Science, Applied Statistics, Data Visualization, File Organization and Databases, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Natural Language Processing
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| Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies |
Comparative Religion, Christian Tradition (August 2023) |
Additional Coursework: Introduction to Electrical Engineering, Principles of Computer Science I (Java), Principles of Computer Science II (C++), Calculus I & II, Physics: Mechanics, Physics: Electricity & Magnetism
Professional Experience
Data Scientist – Part-Time
Neighborhood Insights Technology | August 2025 - Present
IT Help Desk Team Lead
Southern Methodist University | August 2019 - May 2025
- Help Desk Team Lead (December 2020 - May 2024)
- Managed IT support operations resolving software, hardware, and networking issues
- Developed and maintained knowledge bases and troubleshooting documentation
- Gained experience with Active Directory and authentication security using Duo Mobile
- Led student employee customer service team
- Worked with ticket-based systems and network configuration involving security certificates
- Computer Imaging Specialist (August 2019 - November 2020)
- Oversaw system imaging, software deployment, and device management across campus
- Assisted with automation of software installations and network configuration
- Collaborated with both student workers and University staff to maintain University functions
- Gained experience in technical aspects of Microsoft Windows and MacOS
Campus Minister (Part-Time)
Cru | August 2023 - August 2025
- Managed a $70,000 budget and coordinated logistics for a team of 12 to North Africa for 5 weeks in Summer 2023
- Solely led a team of 12 to North Africa for 10 days, managing all finances and logistics in January 2025
- Developed financial strategies and contingency planning for unpredictable environments
- Gained skills in cross-cultural communication and interpersonal relationship building
- Raised personal support package, developing fundraising and financial development skills
- Previously served on Cru leadership team (Spring 2022 - May 2023) and as volunteer staff (August 2023 - May 2024)
Electrical Team Lead
Hilltop Motorsports Formula SAE | August 2019 - May 2023
- Received design and execution acknowledgment from head of body dynamics at Tesla in a competitive presentation
- Led effort to design and build custom wiring harnesses for Peruna III & IV cars
- Designed and assembled Peruna IV’s wiring harness from scratch
- Coordinated schedules and timelines in order to meet deadlines
- Worked cross-functionally with students of varying technical backgrounds to meet technical needs
- Also served as Secretary for the organization (Fall 2021 - Spring 2022)
Leadership & Campus Involvement
Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity
Member | Spring 2020 - May 2023
- Risk Management Chair (Fall 2020 - Spring 2021): Developed strategies for hazard mitigation during the pandemic
- Community Service Chair (Fall 2021 - Spring 2022): Coordinated service events for the Dallas community
- Rush Chair (Fall 2020): Organized and led recruitment activities
SMU Mustang Band
Trombone Player | Fall 2019 - May 2023
- Held leadership position in 2022-2023
- Performed at university athletic events and community functions
SMU Mustang Mavericks
Member | Spring 2020 - May 2023
- Participated in student spirit organization supporting athletic events
Technical Skills
Programming Languages
Python, R, Java, C++, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, SAS, HTML/CSS
Machine Learning & AI
scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, pandas, numpy, NLTK, Optuna, GridSearchCV, Regression, Classification, Clustering, Neural Networks (CNN/RNN/MLP), Transfer Learning, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, OpenAI APIs, ChatGPT, OpenAI Codex, Claude API (Anthropic), OpenClaw, LM Studio, HuggingFace, Generative AI
Data Science & Analytics
Data wrangling, feature engineering, ETL pipelines, exploratory data analysis, statistical testing, model selection, hyperparameter tuning, cross-validation, time series analysis, Census/ACS data, geospatial analysis (OSM)
Web Development & Frameworks
Next.js 15/16, React 19, Astro 5, FastAPI, Express, TypeScript, Tailwind v4, Framer Motion, shadcn/ui, Bootstrap 5, HTML5/CSS3
Databases & ORMs
SQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Prisma ORM, SQLAlchemy 2.0, SQLModel
APIs & Integrations
OpenAI API (GPT, Whisper, TTS), Anthropic Claude API, Stripe, Clerk, Resend, Census Bureau ACS API, OpenStreetMap Overpass, Gumroad API, Twilio, SendGrid
Cloud, DevOps & Deployment
Vercel, Cloudflare Pages, AWS (EC2, S3), GitHub Actions, Docker, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure
Data Visualization
matplotlib, seaborn, ggplot2, Tableau, Power BI, Excel, D3.js, P5.js, Three.js
Git, GitHub, pytest, APScheduler, ReportLab, WeasyPrint, FFmpeg, RMarkdown, RShiny, Jupyter Notebooks, Typer (CLI), Cursor IDE
IT & Support
Windows & macOS Administration, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, Network Security, Multi-Factor Authentication
Projects
Academic Projects
Built an application providing realistic-voice translations of YouTube videos using AI technology.
Analyzed market data to identify underserved niches by studying IBU and ABV relationships and mapping craft beer culture by region.
Developed regression models for the Kaggle Ames Housing competition and built an RShiny App to visualize neighborhood pricing.
Personal & Professional Projects
RE Wholesaler — Automated Real Estate Pipeline (2026)
- Full-stack automated wholesaling pipeline targeting distressed properties across 7 DFW counties
- Python 3.12, FastAPI, SQLAlchemy 2.0 async, APScheduler (11 scheduled jobs), Pydantic v2
- 7 SQLAlchemy models tracking leads, contacts, deals, outreach, documents, and buyers
- Scrapers for foreclosure, tax lien, and probate records; skip tracing via xLeads; AVM pricing
- ReportLab PDF contract generation; MaxDispo + InvestorLift buyer platform integration
- Typer CLI with 15+ commands; pytest test suite for contracts and offer calculator modules
LoanReady — DSCR Calculator SaaS (2026)
- SaaS tool for real estate investors to calculate Debt Service Coverage Ratio from uploaded documents
- Users upload bank statements and P&Ls; Claude Haiku extracts transactions and computes DSCR
- Next.js 15, Prisma 5 (ORM), Clerk (authentication), Stripe (payments), shadcn/ui
- Generates lender-ready PDF reports with transaction breakdowns and ratio analysis
Neighborhood Report Generator (2026)
- Python backend generating neighborhood intelligence reports from US Census ACS and OpenStreetMap data
- Fetches demographics (poverty, income, education, language, race/ethnicity) via Census API (censusdis)
- Counts community institutions (churches, schools, hospitals, libraries) via OSM Overpass API
- Claude Haiku generates prose overview; WeasyPrint renders HTML to PDF; SQLModel caches by geography
Mark — AI Storage Negotiator (2025)
- Conversational AI agent that negotiates monthly storage unit rates on behalf of businesses
- Claude claude-opus-4-6 with tool_use API: calls check_availability, get_pricing, apply_discount, send_confirmation
- Next.js 14, Prisma 5, Resend (email confirmations), TypeScript
Neighborhood Insights (2025–2026)
- Content and data platform for real estate professionals; 43+ published articles on neighborhood analysis
- Next.js 15, React 19, Tailwind v4, Framer Motion, Gumroad API (6 digital products)
- Automated Vercel deployment via GitHub; full custom design system
COATX — Citizens of Addison Texas (2026) [Client]
- Civic website for a municipal organization built for the May 2026 Addison, TX election
- Next.js 16, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind v4; deployed on Vercel
Big Easy Limos (2025–2026) [Client]
- Website for a New Orleans limo service — UI/UX improvements, booking integration
- Next.js 15, React 19, TypeScript, Tailwind v4, Resend, LimoBiz booking widget
Research Interests
- Technology’s impact on society and culture
- Educational accessibility through technology
- Interdisciplinary approaches combining data science and humanities
- Breaking communication barriers with AI and NLP technologies
- Ethical development and deployment of AI