Meet a Colleague: Heidi Bustos Heidi Bustos serves as the assistant director of inclusion and engagement.
Heidi Bustos, assistant director of inclusion and engagementQ. How long have you worked at W&L?
My journey at W&L started on July 18, 2022. I am nearly finished with my first year here!
Q. What do you like most about working at W&L?
I love working with our amazing students and creating fun events for them!
Q. Where is your favorite location on the W&L campus?
My favorite location on campus is the wooden bridge behind Elrod Commons that leads to the parking garage. It makes me think I am in a national park.
Q. Where did you grow up?
I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois and Guerrero, Mexico.
Q. What advice do you have for students?
I was a first generation/low-income student that attended a campus similar to W&L. I would say to not be afraid to ask questions, to take risks and to ask for help. Take advantage of all the wonderful resources that W&L has, have fun and make connections!
Q. What is the most adventurous thing that you have ever done?
Moving away from home at 15 years old.
Q. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not working?
I am a big foodie and I enjoy traveling and trying new dishes.
Q. If you could live anywhere, where would you build your dream home?
My dream home would have to be somewhere in a beach area in Mexico.
Q. Who most inspires you?
My parents. I am a proud daughter of immigrants.
Q. What book are you reading now?
I am reading Clint Smith’s “Above Ground” poems.
Q. What music are you listening to these days?
I LOVE music and listen to a mix of artists. I would say Jhene Aiko, Bad Bunny, Drake, Karol G, Rod Wave, Banda MS and Beyonce have been on repeat.
Q. Your favorite film of all time?
It is hard to choose just one. My favorite movie genre is sports movies, specifically movies based on true stories. I love “Glory Road,” “Pelé: Birth of a Legend,” and “Remember the Titans.”
Q. If they made a movie about your life, who would play you?
I would say Gina Rodriguez (she is a fellow Chicagoan who also grew-up on the northwest side of the city).
Q. Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a Mexican philosopher and poet. Sor Juana grew up in colonial Latin America, where women had limited access to education, and she disguised herself as a man to attend the university. Her eagerness to learn and educate herself is what I most identify with.
Q. If you could have coffee with one person, who would it be and why?
I would have coffee with Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez because as both women of color, daughters of immigrants and first-generation students, we have similar experiences, and I would love to hear about her experience of navigating her intersecting identities as a congresswoman.
Q. What is your desert island food?
Mangos and coconuts.
Q. Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
My appendix is in Peru. I had appendicitis and had to get emergency surgery while studying abroad in Peru.
Q. What is your secret talent?
I wouldn’t call this a secret, but I am a pretty great cook and baker. I bring a lot of sweet treats to my office for students to indulge.
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