Celsio Gonzalez

Born Celsio Emil Gonzalez on December 1, 1986, in Barranquilla, Colombia, Celsio enjoys dual citizenship in both the US and Colombia. His parents, a Colombian doctor and a Christian missionary from western New York, moved to the United States when Celsio was still an infant.

Now a fourth-year pre-medical student at UT, Celsio was attracted to journalism because of his interest in reading, writing and photography. After completing most of his pre-medical course requirements, he decided to pursue journalism as a major and gained acceptance into the photojournalism program his junior year. While working at the campus newspaper, The Daily Texan, as a staff photographer for three semesters, Celsio was also volunteering at nearby Brackenridge Hospital in the emergency room. Although he briefly considered pursuing a career in journalism, he plans to attend medical school and become a physician in the Rio Grande Valley, where his family has settled after a series of moves.

Celsio has one older sister, currently in medical school, and lives with both his paternal grandparents, both more than 80 years old, from whom he learned to speak Spanish at an early age. He enjoys traveling with his family, and playing musical instruments together. Celsio has played the baritone since middle school, and was first-chair baritone and section leader at Los Fresnos High School, where he graduated fourth in his class in the spring of 2004.

This semester, Celsio is enrolled in a multimedia journalism class at UT with the goal of developing the multimedia skills needed to excel in the evolving world of journalism.