Like his love of Cuban coffee, Michael Castillo’s passion for aerospace was born in his Miami childhood. Before immigrating to the United States, Castillo’s grandfather had flown in the Cuban air force, and his father still works today as an aircraft mechanic for a major airline. “In a sense, I grew up privileged,” says Castillo. “My grandparents came with very little, but they and my parents worked very hard, so I was able to focus on school.”