From Runway to VJ
At first glance, it would seem Susie Castillo is leading a charmed life. Castillo spent a year circling the world and appearing in numerous ad campaigns after winning the Miss USA pageant in 2003. The former beauty queen is back in the limelight once again, thanks to her new gig hosting MTV's popular "Total Request Live" (TRL) show in Times Square.
Castillo introduces the latest videos and chats with major music acts each week, then flies to Los Angeles where she also hosts a weekend top video countdown called "Weekend Dime." She even spent this past summer living in MTV's Beach House in Las Vegas. There's no question that Castillo has been blessed with supermodel looks and a glamorous job.
Unfortunately, the Puerto Rican-Dominican veejay's life has featured its share of sour notes. Castillo and her two sisters were raised by a single mother in a low-income neighborhood in Massachusetts after her father abandoned the family. Drug use and teenage pregnancy were major problems in the area's Latin community. No one in her family had ever achieved more than a high school degree, yet Castillo's mother encouraged her daughters to pursue a college education. Castillo overcame these obstacles and managed to graduate from Endicott College with a degree in interior architecture and design only to experience difficulty finding a job after the events of 9/11.
A professional model since age 15, Castillo had always fantasized about a career in the entertainment industry. She decided to take one last stab at her dream by entering the Miss Massachusetts USA pageant. Winning that event eventually led to her being crowned Miss USA. That victory gave the aspiring actress the opportunity to host several television specials and make guest appearances in various other shows.
MTV executives were impressed by Castillo's enthusiasm and stage presence and invited her to audition for an on-air role. As a longtime fan of the music channel it wasn't long before she was moving to the East Coast to start her new career.
YOUNG MONEY caught up with MTV's newest on-air personality at network's offices in New York City.
HOW DID COLLEGE PREPARE YOU FOR THE REAL WORLD?
In my particular field, we had to do so many presentations so we got used to being in front of people. Every week we had to present our projects. ... It was nerve wracking but after a while you get used it. It's a little different now. Instead of presenting to a class of 20 people, you are [presenting] in front of millions who are watching. ... You learn to have fun. The more fun I had with my presentation in college, the better the presentation and the better the response. It's the same thing with hosting a show. The more fun you have on air with your interviews and with your reads, the better it looks on television.
YOU AND YOUR SISTERS WERE THE FIRST GENERATION OF YOUR FAMILY TO ATTEND COLLEGE. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION?
My mom was a single mom so [as we were] growing up she wanted us to have more than she ever had. She always taught us to have goals and to go beyond what people expect of you. Where I grew up, people don't expect much of you. So it was great to have my mom be this positive reinforcement telling us how talented we are and how we can achieve all these things even though nobody else does around here. [She taught us that] the opportunities are out there and you can do whatever you want.
MANY STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO PAY THEIR BILLS WHILE IN SCHOOL. DID YOU GO THROUGH THAT SAME SORT OF EXPERIENCE?
I worked as the 'hostess with the mostest.' That's what they called me at the restaurant where I worked. I did a lot of waitressing and babysitting, mostly because you can pick your own hours, which was nice when you have to study, go to school full time and play volleyball. During volleyball season, it was tough to juggle being a student-athlete and then having to work, especially because interior design was one of the most expensive majors at Endicott. You constantly had to buy architectural materials. So I had a credit card for that reason, and then on special occasions I would use it to have a nice dinner but I never abused it. My mom taught me how to be a saver. She said, "Save your money and don't be stupid. You can build credit with your credit card but don't abuse it." And I never did.
HOW DID WINNING THE MISS USA PAGEANT CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
It changed [my life] completely - like 180 degrees. I graduated in May 2001, and I decided that I was going to take the summer off and build my interior design portfolio. My portfolio was done, but I needed to have my projects photographed and put in a nice book so I could present it to prospective employers. In the fall, I thought I'd get a full-time job. Of course, September 11th happened and nobody was hiring. I couldn't find a job. So I decided to try to break into the entertainment industry somehow. I said, "I'll try one more time before I give up and look for work as an architect again." That's when I decided to enter the Miss Massachusetts USA pageant, which is a preliminary to the Miss USA pageant. It was too late to do it that fall, but I competed the next fall and won that event.
DO PEOPLE HAVE ANY MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE TO HOST A TV SHOW?
Most people watch "TRL" or "MTV Hits" and see the veejays having a great time and it looks fun. And it is. What you see is definitely what you get. We do travel extensively. We go to beaches for Spring Break. Just this past summer, I spent a lot of time in Las Vegas hosting MTV's Beach House. You don't really work nine to five, so it's not a typical job. But we have a good time.
WHAT'S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF WORKING AT MTV?
It's always fun meeting these huge A-list celebrities. For me, because I'm a Latina, meeting Jennifer Lopez was huge. She's a designer, she's got a clothing line and a perfume line. She's an actor and a musician. She's an inspiration to other Latinos, especially coming from where I came. I grew up in a low-income neighborhood where kids didn't do much. They grew up and either got into drugs or became pregnant. Teenage pregnancy was huge in my neighborhood. To not do that, to not take that road, was difficult. [Lopez] was an inspiration to me growing up when she first came on the scene doing the movie "Selena."
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING YOUNG ADULTS TODAY?
I think believing in themselves is a big challenge. With my friends and my peers, that's something I think that is a problem. People don't believe in themselves and don't set goals. Or maybe they set goals but they don't think they can achieve them. That's the first thing that you can't do. You can't set a goal, then think, "Well, that's kind of far off." I never in a million years thought that I would be Miss USA then go to the Miss Universe pageant and be chosen in the top 15 out of 71 women from across the world. I never thought that in my wildest dreams, but there I was. You have to believe in yourself and you have to have confidence, and people will see that.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG ADULTS GETTING READY TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO LIFE AFTER COLLEGE?
I would advise them to research what they really want to do, not just go through the motions of college. Don't just go to class and do the work. Take the time and dedicate yourself to what it is you want to do. Find out about the industry you are interested in and really research it. Find out what they like to hear then go off and do that. Take the necessary steps that you have to take to get the job.© 2008, Young Money Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
