November 3, 2023 • 57 mins
Imagine being the youngest and the first LGBTQ+ member to serve on the Board of Education? That's right, we're sitting down with Hector Bustos, the remarkable clerk of SAUSD's Board of Education. This episode takes you along a heartfelt journey, from Hector's days at Segerstrom High School to now leading the Board of Education, showcasing his unyielding devotion to public education, diversity, and inclusion. It's a powerful narrative of resilience and determination that breaks barriers and fosters a generation of empathetic leaders.
Curious about Hector's perspective on ethnic studies in our education system? We've got you covered! As the leading voice for the Gen Z generation, Hector passionately discusses the importance of ethnic studies in our schools. He emphasizes the urgency of implementing these studies in SAUSD and the impact it has on shaping a well-rounded curriculum for students. Hector also opens up about the influence his mom, a single mother with a language barrier, had on his leadership style and his mission to make the school system more accessible and understandable for everyone. It's an enlightening conversation that bridges the gap between administrative decisions and diverse community needs.
But that's not all. Hector also shares his experiences as an LGBTQ+ member and advocate. He talks about his struggles, his victories, and his ongoing fight for respect and inclusion within our schools. Beyond being an advocate, Hector is also a supporter, uplifting and empowering the transgender community. As we wrap up, he leaves us with an insightful discussion on the power of personal narratives in leadership—a testament to his innovative, inclusive, and compassionate leadership style. So, why not join us for this inspiring episode? You won't regret it!
Visit us at our Buzzsprout site for more ways to listen, links to our social media sites and any referenced materials, and complete transcripts of our full-length episodes: https://bit.ly/SAUSDAmplifyingLeadership
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Content Warning (00:02):
Content Warning .
Dear Amplifying Leadershiplisteners, please be advised
that this episode includesdiscussions of sensitive topics,
including gun violence, mentalhealth struggles and suicide.
Listener discretion is advisedand we encourage everyone to
take care of their emotional andpsychological well-being.
If you or someone you know isin crisis, we urge you to seek
(00:24):
professional help and utilizeappropriate resources that are
available to assist those inneed.
Bianca Barquin (00:37):
Greetings, Amplifiers and welcome to yet
another inspiring episode ofSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we navigate through a
tapestry of leadership that isas vibrant, compelling and
enriching as the community itstems from.
We're joined by an individualwhose journey is not only
(00:59):
reflective of the robust spiritof Santa Ana Unified School
District, but also serves as aninspiring narrative for young,
aspiring leaders who seek tocarve out spaces of inclusivity,
authenticity and transformativeleadership within our
educational landscapes.
With us today is Hector Bustos,Clerk of SAUSD's Board of
(01:24):
Education, an advocate formeaningful and authentic
educational experiences, astaunch supporter of ethnic
studies and a believer in theimperative that every student's
story is not only heard but alsovalued and celebrated.
Hector's journey from the hallsof Segerstrom High School, where
(01:44):
he was an active member of theASB, to become the youngest and
first LGBTQ+ member to serve onour Board of Education is a
testament to the power ofrepresentation, resilience and
rooted belief in the potentialembedded within every student's
journey.
Hector, it's an absoluteprivilege to have you with us
(02:07):
today to explore your leadershipstory, your intrinsic
motivations and the visions thatsteer your impactful work
within our district.
So I'd like to get started withquestions right away, if that's
okay with you.
Hector, your journey from astudent at Segerstrom High
School to a pivotal leader onthe Board of Education is truly
(02:27):
inspiring.
Can you share with us whatsparked your advocacy and how
your experiences within SAUSDshaped your pathway into
leadership?
Hector Bustos (02:38):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really excited to be ableto be a part of this podcast and
talk about my story and talkabout my vision for SAUSD.
I want to begin by sharing thestory of my abuelo, who
unfortunately passed during theCOVID-19 pandemic.
But I think that his storyreally connects to why I'm doing
(03:02):
what I'm doing and my value ineducation.
So almost every day I'd runhome from school and I'd go and
knock on my abuelo's door, youknow, take out my backpack, take
out a bunch of pencils, crayons, paper from my backpack, and
he'd sit on one edge of the bedand I'd sit on the other edge
and I'd say, okay, abuelo,welcome to school, welcome to
(03:23):
class.
And I taught him everythingthat I learned in school that
day.
So I would have him write hisname first and last, trace the
letters with every color of therainbow.
And every single day that Iknocked on his door, you know he
greeted me and welcomed me withopen arms because he knew that
(03:43):
I was excited about school.
He knew that I was excitedabout getting home every single
day and teaching him everythingthat I learned, and so for me
that was a really, reallyspecial experience and I think
about that a lot and I thinkabout how that experience, for
me, has really shaped how I seeeducation and how I value
education.
(04:05):
And so, when I decided to runfor school board and run for
this position, I often heardyou're not experienced enough,
you know, you don't have theexperience, you're not a
classroom teacher.
But I said, actually, I do havethe experience.
I have 13 years of experience.
Now, a proud product of SAUSD,from kindergarten up till senior
(04:26):
year of high school, where Igraduated from Segerstrom in
2017.
And so, yeah, I did haveexperience.
I had 13 years of experiencethat prepared me for this moment
, because no one knows ourschool district and no one knows
this educational institutionmore than the people that are
directly being impacted, whichis our students.
(04:47):
And so, for me, this was anopportunity for me to really
share my story, and share myexperience s, cultivate a
culture and an opportunity forstudents to come to school every
day, be ready, be excited andwant to come back the next day.
And so I really think that thatexperience and that opportunity
(05:08):
that I had with my abuelo everysingle day after school, with a
combination of my desire tocome to school every day to
teachers that I knew werededicated and would provide that
stability for me every day,because I knew no matter what,
the next day there'd be ateacher at the front of the
class who was ready to teach.
That really sparked my advocacyand my desire to join the
(05:33):
school board and really lead ourschools into becoming what they
can be and what I know they canbe for our students.
Bianca Barquin (05:41):
You are so right .
What an inspirational story.
Thank you for sharingespecially the thoughtful
moments that you cherish withyour abuelo.
But you're absolutely right;who better than to kind of lead
the charge and who knows oursystems better than the students
who have matriculated throughour halls from the very
(06:02):
beginning, through graduation?
Thank you.
So embracing your identity as aproud member of the LGBTQ+
community, how have yourexperiences informed your
leadership and advocacy within aspace where every student's
story matters, especiallyensuring that diverse narratives
(06:23):
are acknowledged and celebratedwithin our schools?
Hector Bustos (06:28):
So from a very early age I knew that I was gay.
I knew that I was part of theLGBTQ+ community.
I didn't fully understand itand I didn't really have anyone
in my family who had come outand said that they were part of
the LGBTQ+ community.
There were a few folks atschool that I knew were a little
(06:49):
different, as I was, but theyalso weren't very open about it.
And so growing up it was reallydifficult for me to find spaces
where I felt safe, and itwasn't because I thought that
coming out would mean that I'dlose my family or lose my
friends.
(07:09):
It was more so feeling like Iwould be an outsider, feeling
like if I told someone thatwould make them think
differently of me.
And so I was in the closet allthroughout middle school, which
was when I first reallyidentified that I was gay up
until high school.
And it wasn't until I moved toSan Francisco where I went for
(07:35):
undergrad, where I was able tofind a community that was
visible, that was celebrated,until I felt like I had the
friends and the support systemthat I knew I could come out to.
And so for me, I think comingout to my family I would say is
(07:55):
probably one of the proudestmoments of my life, because it
was an opportunity for me toshare my authentic self.
And so queer people don't reallygrow up as ourselves.
We grow up playing this versionof ourselves that we really
create to protect ourselves fromprejudice, and so we're really
(08:20):
sacrificing authenticity.
And so now I see that my job andmy task as an adult person is
to really unpick those partsthat are authentically me and
those parts that I had to createto protect myself and make sure
that I kept myself safe.
(08:42):
And it's been a challenge, it'sbeen a struggle and it's been
real.
It's been hard because you livewith this person, yourself, for
so long and you're reallycovering who you truly are, and
it's difficult having to facethat person as an adult after
coming out and saying, well,this is the real me and this is
(09:03):
someone that others thought wasthe real me that's not.
So not only am I doing this formyself, which is my main
priority, but it's also withother people and feeling
comfortable enough being my true, authentic self to my mom, to
my brothers, to my tias, to myfriends, and so I really think
(09:25):
that my experiences have reallyshaped the way that I see issues
that particularly pertain toour LGBTQ+ students and making
sure that we're creating thespace at SAUSD where we're
valuing every single student'sstory and we're making sure that
(09:46):
we're creating spaces that aresafe, where students feel like
their diverse narratives canreally rise to the top, because
we have hardworking educators,hardworking families and
hardworking board members thatare really putting these needs
at the forefront.
Bianca Barquin (10:05):
Thank you, Hector, so much for sharing that
.
I think that what you justshared is compelling in every
single person within our system.
Especially SAUSD as anorganization, needs to hear this
.
Two things that you said, atleast in my mind, super
compelling (10:23):
We have to create safe spaces for students so they
can be their authentic selvesand realize that their stories
matter, their diverse narrativesactually matter.
So how do we ensure that we dothat right is the question, and
I think that that's somethingthat we're continuously working
(10:46):
on.
So thank you.
My next question for you, andit's related.
Your stance on ethnic studiesand opposition to book banning
has been notably strong.
Can you delve deeper into whyensuring the survival and
thriving of such programs isessential to you and how do you
envision these areas evolvingwithin SAUSD?
Hector Bustos (11:10):
This is a great question, and I really had the
opportunity to think about thisquestion a lot and think about
my educational experience atSAUSD and, unfortunately, while
I was a student at the schooldistrict, I often found that the
history lessons and theprojects that I'd be working on
really were not reflective ofthe history that I was being
(11:32):
taught at home.
I was learning two completelydifferent things at school and
at home, so I didn't know who tobelieve, and so for me it was
really difficult, you know,reading stories, reading about
history that didn't particularlytie to the history of my
community.
And so that's why I thinkethnic studies is so important,
(11:55):
because it gives students theopportunity to dive into a book,
to dive into a project, to getinvolved in the community and
really connect with the storiesand experiences and the history
of their community, of theirfamilies.
And so we know that ethnicstudies is really paving the way
(12:18):
for students to take power andreally take control and make
them feel empowered and wantingto learn about, you know, their
history and their background andthe generations that came
before them and fought for theirrights and fought for their
ability to have access to thiskind of education that they have
(12:39):
access to now right?
And so for me, as a boardmember, it's really important to
support ethnic studies andsupport the implementation of
ethnic studies and make surethat every single one of our
students, before they graduatefrom high school, have access to
these opportunities, haveaccess to these educational
(13:02):
options and feel like they seethemselves in their history
books.
And so, as I think about thefuture of ethnic studies in
SAUSD, I see a future where westart teaching ethnic studies
from the very first moment ourstudents step into the
classroom, you know?
Making sure that we'reproviding a curriculum and
(13:24):
providing the support for ourstudents to have access to that,
right, and making sure that, asalways, we're centering
community and centering thehistory of those that have been
impacted by these systems ofoppression, that have been
impacted by the educationalsystem, and really breaking down
(13:45):
these barriers to ensure thatour students can move forward
and have the tools and the skillset to be able to do that.
So ethnic studies is somethingthat I really pride myself in
knowing, and when I talk aboutSAUSD, I always mention ethnic
studies, because we're a leaderin this and I'm really proud of
(14:05):
that and I'm proud of the workthat we're doing.
Bianca Barquin (14:08):
Thank you for sharing that, Hector.
And it's true, you're on theright track: we are really
looking at expanding ethnicstudies and making it a priority
that every learning experiencethat a child engages in from
elementary, when they're little,all the way through high school
is meaningful and relevant andauthentic.
(14:30):
Sometimes it's not, but we'rereally working towards that goal
, shifting the paradigm tobecome learner-centered.
Okay, next question for you.
Being the youngest board memberever to serve SAUSD, what
unique perspectives do youbelieve your generational
viewpoint brings to the table?
How do you navigate theintricacies of board
(14:53):
decision-making while stayingtrue to your youthful insight
and experiences?
Hector Bustos (14:59):
So I'm very proud to say that I'm part of Gen Z,
and this is a generation thatreally is breaking barriers and
is calling attention to theyears and years and years of
oppression that our communitieshave been facing and really
fighting back.
And I'm really proud aboutbeing a part of the generation
(15:23):
that is leading efforts on guncontrol, leading efforts on
environmental justice, becausewe know that the future is ours,
right?
We're still going to be aroundfor the next 20, 30, 50, 60
years, and so it's important forus to be able to advocate for
issues that we know we'll haveto deal with in 40, 50 years
(15:47):
from now.
That we know that, if and whenwe decide to have children, it's
also something that they'regoing to have, they're going to
inherit, and so we want tocreate a better future for
ourselves and for our families,and this is also part of the
reason that I decided to run forthe school board.
I was born in 1999, one monthbefore the Columbine shooting.
(16:08):
In 2012, I was an eighth graderat McFadden, that was the Sandy
Hook shooting.
And then, in 2018, I was afirst- year in college, and
that's when the Parklandshooting happened.
And so when people talk aboutschool safety, I understand it
(16:30):
because there were many, manypoints while I was in school
where I didn't feel safe, and soI understand when our students
and when our teachers and whenour parents worry about going to
school.
My senior year of high school,there was a school shooting
(16:50):
threat that was spread acrosssocial media, and on one of the
social media posts, the personthat was threatening to shoot up
the school directly attacked me, and for me that's still
something that I'm having tolive through until to today,
primarily because I didn't getthe help that I needed at that
(17:13):
point.
The next day I arrived toschool, I wasn't greeted by a
psychologist.
I was greeted by five policeofficers who sat me down in a
room and started questioning meand making me feel like I had
(17:35):
done something wrong, and sothat entire day I walked around
campus feeling scared for mysafety.
I didn't even feel safe enoughto go to the restroom between
periods, and so it's hard, andit's a reality that I know that
(17:57):
many of our students face, andas a result of that and as a
result of a multitude of things,right, I struggled a lot with
my mental health those last fewyears of high school and I
didn't feel like I had thatsupport system at school where I
could talk about the thingsthat I was going through, and it
(18:19):
got to the point where I wasreally, really considering
taking my life and I was, youknow, living through that on my
own, right?
And a lot of that had to do with, you know, not wanting to worry
my mom, not wanting her to knowthat I was struggling, because
(18:40):
I knew she was struggling on herown, right?
She's a single mom who wasworking full-time jobs, working
overtime, just to be able to,you know, pay the rent every
month, and so I know she hadissues of her own and I didn't
want to be a burden, a biggerburden.
And so, you know, this youthfulinsight that I bring to the
(19:02):
board and I bring to the schooldistrict really is from personal
experience and wanting to makesure that our students don't
feel scared to go to schoolevery single day, that our
students feel like, you know, wehave school psychologists, we
have therapists, we havecounselors who they can talk to.
(19:22):
You know, I have a bunch ofnieces and nephews who I want to
make sure that they have accessto all of these opportunities
and they never feel the way thatI did and a lot of that is my
motivation for doing the workthat I'm doing, and I know that
(19:43):
young people have the power tobe able to change things, and I
know that young people and thisgeneration is going to be the
group, is going to be thegeneration that ensures that we
have safe schools, that ensuresthat we have a planet that we
can live in 50 years from now,and so, for me, these
(20:04):
experiences and this insight iswhat really drives my decision
making on the board.
Bianca Barquin (20:11):
Thank you, Hector, for your vulnerability
in sharing your personalexperience, knowing that it's
going to make a difference forso many.
No student should feel alone.
Every child, every studentwithin the system should
understand and know that there'sa system of supports for them,
(20:34):
which is why we have prioritiesaround school safety, mental
health and just providing, again, that system of support for
students.
But what I appreciate mostabout your story is your
advocacy.
Yes, I do believe the future ishere and the future is yours
(20:54):
and every other Gen Z-er, andthat you are making a difference
.
So, Hector, I want to shiftgears a little bit.
As you peer into the future ofSAUSD, what are your aspirations
for the district and how do youplan on strategically
championing initiatives thatensure that every student
(21:15):
experiences an education that isboth meaningful and authentic?
Hector Bustos (21:22):
I want to make sure that SAUSD continues to
serve all of our students,making sure that we're a
district that really is student-centered and student- driven.
Like I mentioned before,students know what they need.
Students know what they need tobe successful in the classroom
and outside of the classroom.
(21:43):
So it's our job to listen, andfor me, that's been the biggest,
biggest motivator as a schoolboard member is to making sure
that we're in the classrooms,we're there during lunchtime,
we're there during after- schoolprograms, talking to students,
better understanding what theyneed to be successful.
(22:05):
And making sure that we're alsocollaborating with our
community partners, creatingpartnerships with our
educational partners, with ourfamilies, with our community
organizations, with oureducators.
It's important that we captureevery single one of our students
and make sure that every singleone of our students feels like
(22:26):
they have an outlet, like theyhave a support system and that
they feel they can be successfulin whatever they do on our
campuses.
And so, as I look forward intothe future of SAUSD, I have a
lot of aspirations for how ourschool district can really
(22:46):
champion initiatives to ensurethat every single student has
access to these opportunities.
But we can't do that if we'renot listening to students.
We can't do that if we're notmeeting them where they're at.
As a student, I'll tell you, youknow, oftentimes I felt like a
(23:08):
lot of the programs, activitiesthat the school district thought
was helping, really weren't/wasn't, right?
And the school district and,and you know, our superintendent
, our board, wouldn't know thatunless they were actively trying
to reach out to our studentbody and making that effort to
(23:29):
better understand what ourstudents need.
And so for me, you know, everyboard meeting and every time I
go through, you know, and havemeetings with the superintendent
, I always ask well, how are wegetting our students involved
and how are we capturing theinput of our students?
Because for me that's thebiggest motivator and that group
(23:51):
of people is who we're here toserve.
Bianca Barquin (23:55):
So what I'm hearing you say and I'm so
excited because really it hasbecome a priority for us is
really student voice and choice.
We are conducting listeningsessions and no longer designing
learning experiences withoutthe input of our children,
because the way we did it before, without actually thinking that
(24:19):
we were doing these very coolthings that children would be
interested in, our studentswould be interested in,
sometimes, it was reallyirrelevant for them and not
meaningful at all.
So thank you.
Next question for you.
In your role, you interact withvarious stakeholders, from
students and parents to staffand community members.
(24:40):
How do you bridge the gapbetween administrative decisions
and diverse community needs,ensuring a cohesive, mutually
beneficial educationalenvironment?
Hector Bustos (24:53):
So my heart is with my community and that is
really central to how I makedecisions on the dais.
I'm a strong believer inmeeting people where they're at.
We can't expect things tochange and expect people to come
to us.
It's up to us to go out to theschools.
It's up to us to haveconversations with students and
(25:15):
parents and staff to betterunderstand the diverse needs
that each one of ourstakeholders has in our
educational system.
And so I'll share a little bitabout my mom's experience and
what it was like for her, youknow, being a single mom, being
working class, and so you knowmy mom worked a full-time job,
(25:37):
oftentimes worked over time, soshe'd go into work every single
day at 6am, so when I would wakeup every morning my mom was
already at work.
She'd get off at work around3:30–4, and so she couldn't pick
me up right after school.
And so she really relied onafter-school programs, and so I
(25:59):
wouldn't see my mom until aboutmaybe 5pm–5: 30 every day, and
then see her for about, you know, five hours before bedtime, and
that was our routine.
See her often times on weekends, but sometimes she'd have to
work Saturdays too.
You know she had to do this andshe had to do this because,
(26:20):
again, she was a single mom whowas raising three children and
who made sure that we always hadwhat we needed.
You know, she was a Spanish-speaker, so oftentimes there
were a lot of difficulties withthe language barrier and I
remember having parentconferences and I had teachers
that didn't speak Spanish.
(26:40):
Sometimes there was aninterpreter and sometimes I had
to do it.
Sometimes I had to be theinterpreter for my mom.
She didn't know about a lot ofthe resources that were offered
by the school district.
She didn't know about a lot ofthe resources that were being
offered outside of the schooldistrict and in the community.
You know, we made do with whatwe had, and I think that her
(27:06):
experience is very similar tothe experience of a lot of
immigrant working- classfamilies and parents.
When I ran for office, to thisday, I think about that.
I think about the parent thatwakes up every morning at 6am
(27:27):
and gets off of work every dayat 3, 4.
I think about the parent thathas to work weekends, has to
work double shifts and it'sexhausting, right?
And I know that parents willwant to be involved.
Parents will want to be engagedin our schools, and so what can
(27:47):
we do to be able to meet themwhere they're at?
What can we do to provide theseresources to be able to bring
them in?
Because we know that when ourparents are involved in our
schools, our schools thrive.
I've had the opportunity tovisit almost every single one of
our schools.
I made the promise to ouradministrators this summer that
(28:13):
by the very end of my first yearas a member of the school board
, I was going to step into everysingle school site at least
once, and I'm almost there.
I think I have about I thinkless than maybe 15 schools, and
so I still have maybe like twomonths, two months to be able to
do that.
So I think I'm on the righttrack.
And every time I visit a schoolsite, more often than not I
(28:35):
find parents there.
I find parents being active inour community, and that's what I
want for our parents.
I want parents to feel like ourschools can be a second home
for them.
I want them to feel like activemembers of our school community
, of this educational system.
(28:55):
I want them to know thatthere's programs and resources
for them.
We have so many robust andengaging programs for our
parents at various school sites.
So I want them to take part inthose kinds of things, and so
that's how we can bridge thesegaps by really building these
(29:16):
relationships, meeting ourfamilies where they're at.
And for myself, as a schoolboard member, you know,
oftentimes before I joined theschool board as a student, as a
member of the community, I wouldtune into school board meetings
.
I'd listen in and try tounderstand what the school board
was talking about and what theywere trying to pass and the
(29:37):
things that they were trying todo.
And oftentimes, you know, Ididn't understand what the heck
they were talking about, whatthe heck they were trying to do,
cause it was just a bunch ofjargon, right?
It was these concepts that wereso hard for me to understand.
So now, as a school boardmember, I sit on that dais and I
(29:59):
think about our parentslistening at home, I think about
our students listening at home.
Like, is this something thatwe're making accessible?
Is this something that we'redoing to like.
.
.
are we doing enough to make surethat the things that we're
presenting and the things thatwe're showcasing to our
community is something that theycan connect to and fully
(30:21):
understand and want to getengaged in?
Cause if someone doesn'tunderstand a concept or doesn't
understand, you know like I meanwhen we talk about the budget,
right, like all of these numbersand all of these line items,
and that's hard, I mean for me,even as a first-time school
board, you know, first-yearschool board member, you know
that's challenging and so I canonly.
(30:42):
.
.
and that's me knowing that thisis my role and my
responsibilities.
So I sat with that for hours anddays and I mean for a parent
that has maybe 30 minutes out oftheir day in between, you know,
just finishing dinner andputting their kids to bed and
want to, you know, maybe, watchor tune into a school board
meeting or look through theagenda.
(31:03):
Is this something that they canquickly look at and understand
and say, okay, great, this issomething that I'm supportive of
.
Or, hey, maybe this isn'tsomething that I'm supportive of
.
I'm going to email my schoolboard member or I'm going to
show up to the next school boardmeeting because I don't agree
with it or because I support it,right.
So for me, that's how we canbridge gaps and making sure that
you know, while I'm on the dais, I'm asking those questions to
(31:26):
get clarity, to getunderstanding, and that's really
how we get to the root oftransparency, right, that's how
we make things more transparent,and so that's what we need to
continue to do, and you knowI'll continue to do as a board
member, because I know theexperience of my mom and I know
the experiences of many membersin our community.
I want to make sure that theyhave the access to this
(31:48):
information.
Bianca Barquin (31:51):
Wow, so very insightful.
A few things that you said thatare truly compelling for me is
we have to think about our workand we have to do things
differently to be able to meetparents where they are, right?
I think we try, but we have alot more work that we can do in
(32:13):
that area.
The second thing that youmentioned is really us
reflecting and having thatoutwards mindset to be mindful
of every time we're presenting,especially at a board meeting,
making sure that the content wepresent is truly accessible to
the public and to our familiesand to students who may be
(32:34):
listening.
I think that's an importantreminder for us and, Hector,
it's evident in the thoughtfulquestions that you ask every
time we bring something to theboard how you try to get us to
do that, and so thank you.
Hector, as you reflect uponyour journey thus far, can you
share a defining moment thatsolidified your commitment to
(32:58):
education and leadership,perhaps an instance that
reaffirmed your presence on theboard is not just necessary but
transformative?
Hector Bustos (33:09):
Anytime I step into a classroom, it really is a
defining moment for me andreminds me of my commitment to
education and the reason I ranfor this position.
Every time I step into aclassroom, I see myself, I see
my younger self in those seatsand I think about how far along
(33:32):
SAUSD has come from when I wasan elementary student to where
we are today, and that's whatmakes me really, really proud to
say that I'm from Santa Ana,I'm from SAUSD.
I'm a proud product of thisschool district.
You know, as the youngestelected official on the school
(33:54):
board and as a proud member ofthe LGBTQ+ community, first
LGBTQ+ elected official I carrythat with a lot of pride and I'm
really proud to share that withstudents.
And every time that I sharethat I'm, you know, part of the
LGBTQ+ community I feelliberated because you know I
(34:17):
come back to school, to where Iwas really, really scared and
frightened to come out.
But I can do that, and I can doit freely and know that there
might be students in thatclassroom that were in the same
position that I was, but nowthey know that you know there's
someone on the school boardthat's fighting to create a
(34:41):
safer and more enjoyableexperience for them at school
and making sure that, if andwhen they decide to come out,
they have someone on their sidecheering them on and rooting for
them and wanting them to live along, successful life.
And so these are the momentsthat really ground me in why I'm
(35:06):
doing what I'm doing, because Iwant to make sure that every
single one of our students, Imean every single one, feels
like they can come to school andall they have to worry about is
their algebra problem, right?
I oftentimes joke about how Iwas really, really good at math
(35:28):
until I got to the point wherethere were more letters than
numbers in the equation, andthat's really when I started
struggling, right?
You know, those are the thingsthat I want our students to have
to worry about, right, and getthe support that they need to
solve those problems and thoseequations.
But that's it, right?
I want them to feel like theyhave the space to be their
(35:52):
authentic selves.
And so for me again, every timeI step into a school site,
every time I speak to a student,every time that I even speak to
our teachers, that reallysolidifies my commitment to
education, because I know thatthere are other people involved
that are as equally committed,right?
(36:13):
Our teachers, our educators,our school staff.
Like I said earlier, they weremy stability, right?
You know, even if thingsweren't the greatest at home and
maybe I was struggling withwhatever I was struggling with,
like I mentioned earlier, I knewthat every single day there was
going to be someone at thefront of the class teaching.
(36:36):
There was somebody that wascommitted enough to get up you
know, drive to school six, sevenin the morning to prepare a
lesson, right, because theycared about my educational
experience just as much as I did.
These are the moments that Ireally, really feel where, you
(36:58):
know, I can join my communityand feel proud about the things
that I'm doing and feel like I'mworking with the community to
get things done.
And these are the moments thatI feel really, really proud to
be on the board and make surethat our students have access to
all of these educationalopportunities.
Bianca Barquin (37:18):
Thank you for sharing that, and we are also
proud of how far we've come.
We know we still have a lot ofwork to do, but we have come a
long way and we are so proudthat you are on the board of
education.
So next question for you.
Leadership often comes withnavigating through challenges
(37:38):
and opposition.
Can you share an instance whereyour beliefs and strategies
were met with resistance?
How did you navigate through itto ensure the amplification of
every voice within our community?
Hector Bustos (37:52):
This is a great question.
I've actually also put a lot ofthought into this because, you
know, unfortunately my timelineon my social media is flooded
just with so much of that anti-LGBTQ, anti- trans rhetoric
across the country and that'shard on its own right and having
(38:13):
to deal with it every singleday and be exposed to it,
unfortunately, on social mediait's hard.
You know, I think it was maybemy second or third month on the
school board.
We had some folks who aren'tfrom Santa A na a lot of them
were from outside of Santa Ana,who weren't members of this
community that came in and spokepoorly and and said some really
(38:37):
distasteful and reallyhomophobic and transphobic
comments and spewed their hate.
I'll admit it, it was hard,right, it was really hard to sit
that and take it, but I did.
And I did because I knew thatthere might be students sitting
at home who are listening tothis meeting and listening to
(38:58):
this hate that might reallybelieve it, might really get to
the point where they believe itso much that they'd question
taking their own life because ofit.
I think my first month into theboard, even before this
happened, I had a conversationwith someone who knew that I was
part of the community andsupported me.
(39:21):
They said I'm a politicalscientist.
Great, they have a degree inpolitical science.
But they said, when people cometo the school board and spew
their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, justdon't argue with them, just
don't say anything, don't fightback.
But being silent on this issueis not an option for me.
(39:43):
It's not.
I was silent for so much of mylife when I was in the closet
and I wasn't going to staysilent any longer because I know
that my role and the power thatI have will impact the things
that I say, will impact ourcommunity, impact our students.
(40:05):
I've said it and I'll continueto say it the work that we're
doing at SAUSD in terms ofsupporting our LGBTQ+ community
is suicide prevention.
We're keeping people alive,we're keeping our students alive
.
That is so, so, so important.
I will continue to fight back.
(40:28):
I'm not going to stay silent.
I will continue to affirm theexistence, just the mere
existence, of the LGBTQ+community, because we're in your
classrooms, we're your students, we're your teachers, we're
your principals, we're youradministrators, we're your bus
(40:49):
drivers that get to school everysingle day.
We're your nutrition serviceworkers that feed you every
single day.
It's important, for me at leastto make sure that I'm speaking
up and I'm fighting back tocreate an environment and a
culture at SAUSD of empathy.
That's really at the core ofwhat this is, empathy and
(41:13):
understanding and respect.
It's important we humanize thisissue as well.
You can look into all thestatistics and the numbers and
all that.
All you want, but all of thosenumbers, all of those statistics
, are human lives.
Unfortunately, we've lost too,too many young people to
(41:37):
homophobia and transphobia.
We've lost too many.
As we're moving you know, movingtowards election season the
LGBTQ+ community is being usedas a scape goat.
We saw it in 2016 with theimmigrant community and now
we're seeing it with the LGBTQ+community.
(41:59):
We need to continue to fightback on those narratives and we
need to stand up for one another.
And you know, as a cisgendergay man, I don't fully
understand the trans experience,the experiences of a
transgender person, but it'simportant for me, as a member of
(42:21):
this community, to stand insolidarity with the transgender
community and work to understandtheir needs and make sure that
we're advocating and we'refighting alongside them.
There's transgender people inevery part of our community, so
it's important when our allieslook to us and they ask us well,
(42:45):
how can I support you?
I have a rainbow flag up on mywindow or on my porch.
Is that doing enough?
That helps, but it's importantthat you talk about the LGBTQ+
community as human beings, aspeople, we exist.
And so, for me, when we talkabout my beliefs and when we
(43:09):
talk about how I navigatechallenges and opposition, it
all comes back to my fundamentalvalues and what I believe will,
one, right, keep people alive,which is important, but also
value their humanity, valuetheir experiences and value the
(43:33):
situations that they're in, andso I will always do that.
I will continue to do that as aschool board member, because I
know that we can't be silent,that being silent is not an
option in this fight, and so tofolks who are part of the LGBTQ+
community but I also look toour allies to really speak up
(43:58):
and fight back on this rhetoricand fight back on the homophobia
and transphobia and havedifficult conversations.
I'm not saying this issomething that's easy.
I know it's hard to fight backand push back a little bit on
your tia, who might make alittle comment at the dinner
table where you can easily brushit off and just say whatever,
(44:22):
she's from an older generation,she'll never understand, but
that's how we move things andthat's how we shake things up
and that's how we can reallyreally make impactful change is
really starting with ourcommunity and our families.
So I'll continue to support anduplift and empower our LGBTQ+
(44:44):
community from our students, ourteachers, admin, community
members, because being silent isnot an option.
Bianca Barquin (44:53):
So I believe that a beautiful way to
summarize what you said is, one,it starts with empathy, and
two, within your response,powerful words, and words matter
.
So thank you, Hector.
Last question that I have foryou before we get into a
different segment.
Lastly, away from policies,strategies and board decisions,
(45:18):
what personal narratives orexperiences keep your passion
for educational leadershipablaze, and how do these stories
continue to shape your pathforward in ensuring SAUSD is a
beacon of inclusivity,innovation and inspiration?
Hector Bustos (45:38):
So, at the end of the educational journey for our
students here at SAUSD, I wantto make sure that they feel like
they're ready for the world,they're ready to take on the
world.
You know, whatever they decideto do whether it's head to a
community college and thentransfer to a four-year
university, or heading directlyinto a four-year university or
(45:59):
go straight into the workforceit's important that we support
whatever decision our studentstake and make sure that they're
ready and that they're preparedfor that decision.
And so I want to share a littlestory about my experience as a
first-generation collegestudent, just how unprepared I
(46:20):
felt like I was, for the bigworld, the real world and higher
education, because I reallythink that this story and this
personal experience reallyshapes my path forward and my
thinking and how we can continueto be you know this, like you
mentioned, this beacon ofinclusivity, inspiration and
(46:41):
innovation.
You know, like I mentionedearlier, I moved up to the Bay
Area for college.
I went to the University of SanFrancisco, and so first week I
was there, I got an email.
Actually, the week before.
.
.
the week of move-in, so a weekbefore classes started, I
received an email that said youhave to pay X amount or we're
(47:03):
going to drop all of yourclasses.
And I said I don't have $6,000in my bank account right now.
I know my mom doesn't have$6,000 in her bank account.
Like I thought all of this gottaken care of.
Like why am I, you know, a weekbefore classes start, getting
this email and saying you needto come up with this money or
(47:24):
we're dropping every one of yourclasses?
So a week came by and I didn'thave the money.
So, yeah, they dropped all ofmy classes.
And so the day before, you know, classes started, I don't know
what to do.
I don't know who to go toBecause, like I mentioned, this
was the first time anyone in myfamily and I mean anyone, you
(47:44):
know, immediate and extendedfamily went to college.
So I didn't have anyone to relyon to ask, like, who do I go
talk to about this?
And it was the financial aiddepartment was the department
that emailed me about this.
But you know, as we all know,they're not the most responsive
department on college campuses.
And so, you know, I was like,well, I don't know, maybe do I
(48:10):
have a counselor, do they evenhave counselors in college?
Like is that a thing?
And so I did a quick Googlesearch Do they have counselors
in college?
And then put USF right, hopingthat would help.
And I found out that, hey, okay, there are, you know, academic
coaches and academic advisors incollege.
So, you know, I called up myadvisor and I was like, hey, I'm
(48:33):
running into this issue, canyou help me?
And she says, sure, come up tocome up to my office.
You can only imagine, right,like I'm miles and miles and
miles away from home, all on myown.
I'm 18.
And it's the first time I'veever been away from home like
this.
It's a day like, well, I had agood run one week.
I guess I'm moving back becauseI just can't afford, I can't
(48:55):
afford this, right?
And so I had a conversation withmy academic advisor and she
really laid out the options ofwhat we could do.
And you know, this really was afinancial hit and impact on
myself and my family.
You know, these are the kind ofstories that you know I've
shared with folks and, knowingthat, I don't want any of our
(49:18):
students to feel that way orever have to experience that.
So what can we do to preparethem, to make sure that they
have the wealth of knowledge tomove into higher education or
move into the workforce and havethe tools, the tool belt, the
skill set to just walk in like aboss, right, like in whatever
(49:39):
college, university or workplacethey go into and are able to do
that.
And I think, right, that really,really is at the root of what I
want to make sure that we'redoing at SAUSD, that we're
creating these networks andthese opportunities for success
(50:01):
and we're using these thingslike inclusivity, innovation,
inspiration to really guide that, guide that work.
You know, this personalexperience is something that I
think about often and you know Ishare with my nephews and
nieces.
I'm like you're so lucky,you're never going to have to
deal with this, right, you're solucky.
Sometimes it makes me reallyhappy that I know that they'll
(50:24):
never have to go throughsomething like that, because
I've gone through it and Iunderstand it and I can help
them along the way, and that'swhat I want us as a school
district to do for our students.
Bianca Barquin (50:38):
Absolutely.
Very important work that wehave to do in that area to make
sure our kiddos, we're not justtaking care of them while
they're here, but those nextsteps too, so they can just
flourish when they get out ofour system, right?
So, Hector, before we sign off,it's time for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
(50:59):
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who's made asignificant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat would that resonating
message be?
Hector Bustos (51:13):
So if I could amplify the message of one
leader in my life, it's going tobe my mom, and it's my mom for
a lot of different reasons.
The biggest thing that she hasshown me and she's taught me is
the power of taking care ofothers and supporting others
(51:35):
through really, really difficultand hard times, and I've seen
the ways that she's done thatfor my brothers and I.
I've seen the ways that she'sdone that for her siblings and
for her parents, and so to me,that's something really special
(51:55):
and it's something that I carryvery, very deeply and closely to
me and my heart, because that'show I lead.
I lead by taking care of others.
I lead by making sure thatwe're meeting the needs of
others and making sure thatpeople have what they need to
(52:19):
feel safe, to feel happy, tofeel supported.
That's a huge lesson that mymom has taught me, and my mom
has the biggest heart out ofeveryone I know.
You know, I don't even know howshe keeps it in her chest.
That's how big it is, right,like it's huge.
She has a huge heart and shehas so much room for love for
(52:45):
other people.
So muchas gracias, mamá, por seruna persona que me ha dado todo
en la vida que necesito parapoder seguir adelante y para
poder cumplir mis metas, porqueyo sé que tu sacrificastes mucho
para mí, sacrificastes muchopara mis hermanos y sigues
(53:10):
sacrificando para toda nuestrafamilia, y quiero que sepas que
tus esfuerzos han sido muyapreciados de mi parte, porque
yo sé que tu has hecho mucho pormí.
Todo lo que hago y todo lo queha cumplido ha sido gran parte
(53:31):
con tu ayuda, so muchas gracias.
And so I wanted to include thatlittle message and that thank
you to my mom, because it's hardsometimes for her and I to say
things like this to each other,and that's okay, right, like
we're learning and we'rebuilding that relationship and
we're learning how to beemotional and how to, you know,
(53:54):
share these things.
And I think COVID had a lotthat played into that, right,
because I was stuck in the housewith her for almost every part
of my day, and so you know, wewere forced to talk and we were
forced to build relationshipsand forced to see, like, every
good and bad side of ourselves,and so these are the lessons
(54:15):
that my mom taught me and theseare the things that make me who
I am, and I'm so proud to callher, my mom, and I'm so proud to
be her son because of her heart, because of her willingness to
give so much to other people,and so I'm thankful to her and
thankful for her lessons and hermessages throughout my life.
Bianca Barquin (54:38):
Wow, what a loving and powerful
acknowledgement.
Thank you.
Amplifiers, we have traversedthrough an enlightening dialogue
, unearthing the heartfeltmotivations in keen strategic
mindset that drives HectorBustos in his role as a pivotal
member of the SAUSD Board ofEducation.
(54:59):
His journey, from the hallwaysof Segerstrom High School to the
boardroom, weaving throughadvocacy for ethnic studies,
book rights and especially forrecognizing and uplifting every
student's narrative, is atapestry of inspiration and a
beacon for innovative,compassionate leadership.
In Hector's story we arereminded that leadership doesn't
(55:24):
have an age limit and trueadvocacy sparkles through when
our personal narrativesintertwine with our professional
roles, creating a symphony ofauthentic, impactful leadership.
Hector Bustos has shown us thatit is entirely possible to
merge one's personal narrativesand beliefs with one's
professional undertakings toforge a path that isn't merely
(55:48):
progressive but also profoundlyresonant and inclusive.
As we close this chapter ofSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
we not only acknowledge thepower of Hector's journey and
advocacy, but also invite eachof you to reflect on your own
path.
How does your story, yourchallenges and your triumphs
(56:08):
weave into the tapestry that isyour leadership style?
How do you ensure that everyvoice, every story under your
stewardship is seen, heard andvalidated?
Our stories are our strength,Amplifiers, they are the silent
yet potent threads that sew thefabric of our communities
tighter, especially in timeswhen unity is paramount.
(56:31):
Let us move forward, ensuringthat the trails we blaze are
wide enough for all narratives,all stories and all voices to be
celebrated and uplifted.
Until the next time, stayinspired, stay curious and
continue to amplify theremarkable leadership that
pulses within SAUSD and beyond.
Content Warning .
Dear Amplifying Leadershiplisteners, please be advised
that this episode includesdiscussions of sensitive topics,
including gun violence, mentalhealth struggles and suicide.
Listener discretion is advisedand we encourage everyone to
take care of their emotional andpsychological well-being.
If you or someone you know isin crisis, we urge you to seek
(00:24):
professional help and utilizeappropriate resources that are
available to assist those inneed.
Bianca Barquin (00:37):
Greetings, Amplifiers and welcome to yet
another inspiring episode ofSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership.
I'm your host, Bianca Barquin,and today we navigate through a
tapestry of leadership that isas vibrant, compelling and
enriching as the community itstems from.
We're joined by an individualwhose journey is not only
(00:59):
reflective of the robust spiritof Santa Ana Unified School
District, but also serves as aninspiring narrative for young,
aspiring leaders who seek tocarve out spaces of inclusivity,
authenticity and transformativeleadership within our
educational landscapes.
With us today is Hector Bustos,Clerk of SAUSD's Board of
(01:24):
Education, an advocate formeaningful and authentic
educational experiences, astaunch supporter of ethnic
studies and a believer in theimperative that every student's
story is not only heard but alsovalued and celebrated.
Hector's journey from the hallsof Segerstrom High School, where
(01:44):
he was an active member of theASB, to become the youngest and
first LGBTQ+ member to serve onour Board of Education is a
testament to the power ofrepresentation, resilience and
rooted belief in the potentialembedded within every student's
journey.
Hector, it's an absoluteprivilege to have you with us
(02:07):
today to explore your leadershipstory, your intrinsic
motivations and the visions thatsteer your impactful work
within our district.
So I'd like to get started withquestions right away, if that's
okay with you.
Hector, your journey from astudent at Segerstrom High
School to a pivotal leader onthe Board of Education is truly
(02:27):
inspiring.
Can you share with us whatsparked your advocacy and how
your experiences within SAUSDshaped your pathway into
leadership?
Hector Bustos (02:38):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really excited to be ableto be a part of this podcast and
talk about my story and talkabout my vision for SAUSD.
I want to begin by sharing thestory of my abuelo, who
unfortunately passed during theCOVID-19 pandemic.
But I think that his storyreally connects to why I'm doing
(03:02):
what I'm doing and my value ineducation.
So almost every day I'd runhome from school and I'd go and
knock on my abuelo's door, youknow, take out my backpack, take
out a bunch of pencils, crayons, paper from my backpack, and
he'd sit on one edge of the bedand I'd sit on the other edge
and I'd say, okay, abuelo,welcome to school, welcome to
(03:23):
class.
And I taught him everythingthat I learned in school that
day.
So I would have him write hisname first and last, trace the
letters with every color of therainbow.
And every single day that Iknocked on his door, you know he
greeted me and welcomed me withopen arms because he knew that
(03:43):
I was excited about school.
He knew that I was excitedabout getting home every single
day and teaching him everythingthat I learned, and so for me
that was a really, reallyspecial experience and I think
about that a lot and I thinkabout how that experience, for
me, has really shaped how I seeeducation and how I value
education.
(04:05):
And so, when I decided to runfor school board and run for
this position, I often heardyou're not experienced enough,
you know, you don't have theexperience, you're not a
classroom teacher.
But I said, actually, I do havethe experience.
I have 13 years of experience.
Now, a proud product of SAUSD,from kindergarten up till senior
(04:26):
year of high school, where Igraduated from Segerstrom in
2017.
And so, yeah, I did haveexperience.
I had 13 years of experiencethat prepared me for this moment
, because no one knows ourschool district and no one knows
this educational institutionmore than the people that are
directly being impacted, whichis our students.
(04:47):
And so, for me, this was anopportunity for me to really
share my story, and share myexperience s, cultivate a
culture and an opportunity forstudents to come to school every
day, be ready, be excited andwant to come back the next day.
And so I really think that thatexperience and that opportunity
(05:08):
that I had with my abuelo everysingle day after school, with a
combination of my desire tocome to school every day to
teachers that I knew werededicated and would provide that
stability for me every day,because I knew no matter what,
the next day there'd be ateacher at the front of the
class who was ready to teach.
That really sparked my advocacyand my desire to join the
(05:33):
school board and really lead ourschools into becoming what they
can be and what I know they canbe for our students.
Bianca Barquin (05:41):
You are so right .
What an inspirational story.
Thank you for sharingespecially the thoughtful
moments that you cherish withyour abuelo.
But you're absolutely right;who better than to kind of lead
the charge and who knows oursystems better than the students
who have matriculated throughour halls from the very
(06:02):
beginning, through graduation?
Thank you.
So embracing your identity as aproud member of the LGBTQ+
community, how have yourexperiences informed your
leadership and advocacy within aspace where every student's
story matters, especiallyensuring that diverse narratives
(06:23):
are acknowledged and celebratedwithin our schools?
Hector Bustos (06:28):
So from a very early age I knew that I was gay.
I knew that I was part of theLGBTQ+ community.
I didn't fully understand itand I didn't really have anyone
in my family who had come outand said that they were part of
the LGBTQ+ community.
There were a few folks atschool that I knew were a little
(06:49):
different, as I was, but theyalso weren't very open about it.
And so growing up it was reallydifficult for me to find spaces
where I felt safe, and itwasn't because I thought that
coming out would mean that I'dlose my family or lose my
friends.
(07:09):
It was more so feeling like Iwould be an outsider, feeling
like if I told someone thatwould make them think
differently of me.
And so I was in the closet allthroughout middle school, which
was when I first reallyidentified that I was gay up
until high school.
And it wasn't until I moved toSan Francisco where I went for
(07:35):
undergrad, where I was able tofind a community that was
visible, that was celebrated,until I felt like I had the
friends and the support systemthat I knew I could come out to.
And so for me, I think comingout to my family I would say is
(07:55):
probably one of the proudestmoments of my life, because it
was an opportunity for me toshare my authentic self.
And so queer people don't reallygrow up as ourselves.
We grow up playing this versionof ourselves that we really
create to protect ourselves fromprejudice, and so we're really
(08:20):
sacrificing authenticity.
And so now I see that my job andmy task as an adult person is
to really unpick those partsthat are authentically me and
those parts that I had to createto protect myself and make sure
that I kept myself safe.
(08:42):
And it's been a challenge, it'sbeen a struggle and it's been
real.
It's been hard because you livewith this person, yourself, for
so long and you're reallycovering who you truly are, and
it's difficult having to facethat person as an adult after
coming out and saying, well,this is the real me and this is
(09:03):
someone that others thought wasthe real me that's not.
So not only am I doing this formyself, which is my main
priority, but it's also withother people and feeling
comfortable enough being my true, authentic self to my mom, to
my brothers, to my tias, to myfriends, and so I really think
(09:25):
that my experiences have reallyshaped the way that I see issues
that particularly pertain toour LGBTQ+ students and making
sure that we're creating thespace at SAUSD where we're
valuing every single student'sstory and we're making sure that
(09:46):
we're creating spaces that aresafe, where students feel like
their diverse narratives canreally rise to the top, because
we have hardworking educators,hardworking families and
hardworking board members thatare really putting these needs
at the forefront.
Bianca Barquin (10:05):
Thank you, Hector, so much for sharing that
.
I think that what you justshared is compelling in every
single person within our system.
Especially SAUSD as anorganization, needs to hear this
.
Two things that you said, atleast in my mind, super
compelling (10:23):
We have to create safe spaces for students so they
can be their authentic selvesand realize that their stories
matter, their diverse narrativesactually matter.
So how do we ensure that we dothat right is the question, and
I think that that's somethingthat we're continuously working
(10:46):
on.
So thank you.
My next question for you, andit's related.
Your stance on ethnic studiesand opposition to book banning
has been notably strong.
Can you delve deeper into whyensuring the survival and
thriving of such programs isessential to you and how do you
envision these areas evolvingwithin SAUSD?
Hector Bustos (11:10):
This is a great question, and I really had the
opportunity to think about thisquestion a lot and think about
my educational experience atSAUSD and, unfortunately, while
I was a student at the schooldistrict, I often found that the
history lessons and theprojects that I'd be working on
really were not reflective ofthe history that I was being
(11:32):
taught at home.
I was learning two completelydifferent things at school and
at home, so I didn't know who tobelieve, and so for me it was
really difficult, you know,reading stories, reading about
history that didn't particularlytie to the history of my
community.
And so that's why I thinkethnic studies is so important,
(11:55):
because it gives students theopportunity to dive into a book,
to dive into a project, to getinvolved in the community and
really connect with the storiesand experiences and the history
of their community, of theirfamilies.
And so we know that ethnicstudies is really paving the way
(12:18):
for students to take power andreally take control and make
them feel empowered and wantingto learn about, you know, their
history and their background andthe generations that came
before them and fought for theirrights and fought for their
ability to have access to thiskind of education that they have
(12:39):
access to now right?
And so for me, as a boardmember, it's really important to
support ethnic studies andsupport the implementation of
ethnic studies and make surethat every single one of our
students, before they graduatefrom high school, have access to
these opportunities, haveaccess to these educational
(13:02):
options and feel like they seethemselves in their history
books.
And so, as I think about thefuture of ethnic studies in
SAUSD, I see a future where westart teaching ethnic studies
from the very first moment ourstudents step into the
classroom, you know?
Making sure that we'reproviding a curriculum and
(13:24):
providing the support for ourstudents to have access to that,
right, and making sure that, asalways, we're centering
community and centering thehistory of those that have been
impacted by these systems ofoppression, that have been
impacted by the educationalsystem, and really breaking down
(13:45):
these barriers to ensure thatour students can move forward
and have the tools and the skillset to be able to do that.
So ethnic studies is somethingthat I really pride myself in
knowing, and when I talk aboutSAUSD, I always mention ethnic
studies, because we're a leaderin this and I'm really proud of
(14:05):
that and I'm proud of the workthat we're doing.
Bianca Barquin (14:08):
Thank you for sharing that, Hector.
And it's true, you're on theright track: we are really
looking at expanding ethnicstudies and making it a priority
that every learning experiencethat a child engages in from
elementary, when they're little,all the way through high school
is meaningful and relevant andauthentic.
(14:30):
Sometimes it's not, but we'rereally working towards that goal
, shifting the paradigm tobecome learner-centered.
Okay, next question for you.
Being the youngest board memberever to serve SAUSD, what
unique perspectives do youbelieve your generational
viewpoint brings to the table?
How do you navigate theintricacies of board
(14:53):
decision-making while stayingtrue to your youthful insight
and experiences?
Hector Bustos (14:59):
So I'm very proud to say that I'm part of Gen Z,
and this is a generation thatreally is breaking barriers and
is calling attention to theyears and years and years of
oppression that our communitieshave been facing and really
fighting back.
And I'm really proud aboutbeing a part of the generation
(15:23):
that is leading efforts on guncontrol, leading efforts on
environmental justice, becausewe know that the future is ours,
right?
We're still going to be aroundfor the next 20, 30, 50, 60
years, and so it's important forus to be able to advocate for
issues that we know we'll haveto deal with in 40, 50 years
(15:47):
from now.
That we know that, if and whenwe decide to have children, it's
also something that they'regoing to have, they're going to
inherit, and so we want tocreate a better future for
ourselves and for our families,and this is also part of the
reason that I decided to run forthe school board.
I was born in 1999, one monthbefore the Columbine shooting.
(16:08):
In 2012, I was an eighth graderat McFadden, that was the Sandy
Hook shooting.
And then, in 2018, I was afirst- year in college, and
that's when the Parklandshooting happened.
And so when people talk aboutschool safety, I understand it
(16:30):
because there were many, manypoints while I was in school
where I didn't feel safe, and soI understand when our students
and when our teachers and whenour parents worry about going to
school.
My senior year of high school,there was a school shooting
(16:50):
threat that was spread acrosssocial media, and on one of the
social media posts, the personthat was threatening to shoot up
the school directly attacked me, and for me that's still
something that I'm having tolive through until to today,
primarily because I didn't getthe help that I needed at that
(17:13):
point.
The next day I arrived toschool, I wasn't greeted by a
psychologist.
I was greeted by five policeofficers who sat me down in a
room and started questioning meand making me feel like I had
(17:35):
done something wrong, and sothat entire day I walked around
campus feeling scared for mysafety.
I didn't even feel safe enoughto go to the restroom between
periods, and so it's hard, andit's a reality that I know that
(17:57):
many of our students face, andas a result of that and as a
result of a multitude of things,right, I struggled a lot with
my mental health those last fewyears of high school and I
didn't feel like I had thatsupport system at school where I
could talk about the thingsthat I was going through, and it
(18:19):
got to the point where I wasreally, really considering
taking my life and I was, youknow, living through that on my
own, right?
And a lot of that had to do with, you know, not wanting to worry
my mom, not wanting her to knowthat I was struggling, because
(18:40):
I knew she was struggling on herown, right?
She's a single mom who wasworking full-time jobs, working
overtime, just to be able to,you know, pay the rent every
month, and so I know she hadissues of her own and I didn't
want to be a burden, a biggerburden.
And so, you know, this youthfulinsight that I bring to the
(19:02):
board and I bring to the schooldistrict really is from personal
experience and wanting to makesure that our students don't
feel scared to go to schoolevery single day, that our
students feel like, you know, wehave school psychologists, we
have therapists, we havecounselors who they can talk to.
(19:22):
You know, I have a bunch ofnieces and nephews who I want to
make sure that they have accessto all of these opportunities
and they never feel the way thatI did and a lot of that is my
motivation for doing the workthat I'm doing, and I know that
(19:43):
young people have the power tobe able to change things, and I
know that young people and thisgeneration is going to be the
group, is going to be thegeneration that ensures that we
have safe schools, that ensuresthat we have a planet that we
can live in 50 years from now,and so, for me, these
(20:04):
experiences and this insight iswhat really drives my decision
making on the board.
Bianca Barquin (20:11):
Thank you, Hector, for your vulnerability
in sharing your personalexperience, knowing that it's
going to make a difference forso many.
No student should feel alone.
Every child, every studentwithin the system should
understand and know that there'sa system of supports for them,
(20:34):
which is why we have prioritiesaround school safety, mental
health and just providing, again, that system of support for
students.
But what I appreciate mostabout your story is your
advocacy.
Yes, I do believe the future ishere and the future is yours
(20:54):
and every other Gen Z-er, andthat you are making a difference
.
So, Hector, I want to shiftgears a little bit.
As you peer into the future ofSAUSD, what are your aspirations
for the district and how do youplan on strategically
championing initiatives thatensure that every student
(21:15):
experiences an education that isboth meaningful and authentic?
Hector Bustos (21:22):
I want to make sure that SAUSD continues to
serve all of our students,making sure that we're a
district that really is student-centered and student- driven.
Like I mentioned before,students know what they need.
Students know what they need tobe successful in the classroom
and outside of the classroom.
(21:43):
So it's our job to listen, andfor me, that's been the biggest,
biggest motivator as a schoolboard member is to making sure
that we're in the classrooms,we're there during lunchtime,
we're there during after- schoolprograms, talking to students,
better understanding what theyneed to be successful.
(22:05):
And making sure that we're alsocollaborating with our
community partners, creatingpartnerships with our
educational partners, with ourfamilies, with our community
organizations, with oureducators.
It's important that we captureevery single one of our students
and make sure that every singleone of our students feels like
(22:26):
they have an outlet, like theyhave a support system and that
they feel they can be successfulin whatever they do on our
campuses.
And so, as I look forward intothe future of SAUSD, I have a
lot of aspirations for how ourschool district can really
(22:46):
champion initiatives to ensurethat every single student has
access to these opportunities.
But we can't do that if we'renot listening to students.
We can't do that if we're notmeeting them where they're at.
As a student, I'll tell you, youknow, oftentimes I felt like a
(23:08):
lot of the programs, activitiesthat the school district thought
was helping, really weren't/wasn't, right?
And the school district and,and you know, our superintendent
, our board, wouldn't know thatunless they were actively trying
to reach out to our studentbody and making that effort to
(23:29):
better understand what ourstudents need.
And so for me, you know, everyboard meeting and every time I
go through, you know, and havemeetings with the superintendent
, I always ask well, how are wegetting our students involved
and how are we capturing theinput of our students?
Because for me that's thebiggest motivator and that group
(23:51):
of people is who we're here toserve.
Bianca Barquin (23:55):
So what I'm hearing you say and I'm so
excited because really it hasbecome a priority for us is
really student voice and choice.
We are conducting listeningsessions and no longer designing
learning experiences withoutthe input of our children,
because the way we did it before, without actually thinking that
(24:19):
we were doing these very coolthings that children would be
interested in, our studentswould be interested in,
sometimes, it was reallyirrelevant for them and not
meaningful at all.
So thank you.
Next question for you.
In your role, you interact withvarious stakeholders, from
students and parents to staffand community members.
(24:40):
How do you bridge the gapbetween administrative decisions
and diverse community needs,ensuring a cohesive, mutually
beneficial educationalenvironment?
Hector Bustos (24:53):
So my heart is with my community and that is
really central to how I makedecisions on the dais.
I'm a strong believer inmeeting people where they're at.
We can't expect things tochange and expect people to come
to us.
It's up to us to go out to theschools.
It's up to us to haveconversations with students and
(25:15):
parents and staff to betterunderstand the diverse needs
that each one of ourstakeholders has in our
educational system.
And so I'll share a little bitabout my mom's experience and
what it was like for her, youknow, being a single mom, being
working class, and so you knowmy mom worked a full-time job,
(25:37):
oftentimes worked over time, soshe'd go into work every single
day at 6am, so when I would wakeup every morning my mom was
already at work.
She'd get off at work around3:30–4, and so she couldn't pick
me up right after school.
And so she really relied onafter-school programs, and so I
(25:59):
wouldn't see my mom until aboutmaybe 5pm–5: 30 every day, and
then see her for about, you know, five hours before bedtime, and
that was our routine.
See her often times on weekends, but sometimes she'd have to
work Saturdays too.
You know she had to do this andshe had to do this because,
(26:20):
again, she was a single mom whowas raising three children and
who made sure that we always hadwhat we needed.
You know, she was a Spanish-speaker, so oftentimes there
were a lot of difficulties withthe language barrier and I
remember having parentconferences and I had teachers
that didn't speak Spanish.
(26:40):
Sometimes there was aninterpreter and sometimes I had
to do it.
Sometimes I had to be theinterpreter for my mom.
She didn't know about a lot ofthe resources that were offered
by the school district.
She didn't know about a lot ofthe resources that were being
offered outside of the schooldistrict and in the community.
You know, we made do with whatwe had, and I think that her
(27:06):
experience is very similar tothe experience of a lot of
immigrant working- classfamilies and parents.
When I ran for office, to thisday, I think about that.
I think about the parent thatwakes up every morning at 6am
(27:27):
and gets off of work every dayat 3, 4.
I think about the parent thathas to work weekends, has to
work double shifts and it'sexhausting, right?
And I know that parents willwant to be involved.
Parents will want to be engagedin our schools, and so what can
(27:47):
we do to be able to meet themwhere they're at?
What can we do to provide theseresources to be able to bring
them in?
Because we know that when ourparents are involved in our
schools, our schools thrive.
I've had the opportunity tovisit almost every single one of
our schools.
I made the promise to ouradministrators this summer that
(28:13):
by the very end of my first yearas a member of the school board
, I was going to step into everysingle school site at least
once, and I'm almost there.
I think I have about I thinkless than maybe 15 schools, and
so I still have maybe like twomonths, two months to be able to
do that.
So I think I'm on the righttrack.
And every time I visit a schoolsite, more often than not I
(28:35):
find parents there.
I find parents being active inour community, and that's what I
want for our parents.
I want parents to feel like ourschools can be a second home
for them.
I want them to feel like activemembers of our school community
, of this educational system.
(28:55):
I want them to know thatthere's programs and resources
for them.
We have so many robust andengaging programs for our
parents at various school sites.
So I want them to take part inthose kinds of things, and so
that's how we can bridge thesegaps by really building these
(29:16):
relationships, meeting ourfamilies where they're at.
And for myself, as a schoolboard member, you know,
oftentimes before I joined theschool board as a student, as a
member of the community, I wouldtune into school board meetings
.
I'd listen in and try tounderstand what the school board
was talking about and what theywere trying to pass and the
(29:37):
things that they were trying todo.
And oftentimes, you know, Ididn't understand what the heck
they were talking about, whatthe heck they were trying to do,
cause it was just a bunch ofjargon, right?
It was these concepts that wereso hard for me to understand.
So now, as a school boardmember, I sit on that dais and I
(29:59):
think about our parentslistening at home, I think about
our students listening at home.
Like, is this something thatwe're making accessible?
Is this something that we'redoing to like.
.
.
are we doing enough to make surethat the things that we're
presenting and the things thatwe're showcasing to our
community is something that theycan connect to and fully
(30:21):
understand and want to getengaged in?
Cause if someone doesn'tunderstand a concept or doesn't
understand, you know like I meanwhen we talk about the budget,
right, like all of these numbersand all of these line items,
and that's hard, I mean for me,even as a first-time school
board, you know, first-yearschool board member, you know
that's challenging and so I canonly.
(30:42):
.
.
and that's me knowing that thisis my role and my
responsibilities.
So I sat with that for hours anddays and I mean for a parent
that has maybe 30 minutes out oftheir day in between, you know,
just finishing dinner andputting their kids to bed and
want to, you know, maybe, watchor tune into a school board
meeting or look through theagenda.
(31:03):
Is this something that they canquickly look at and understand
and say, okay, great, this issomething that I'm supportive of
.
Or, hey, maybe this isn'tsomething that I'm supportive of
.
I'm going to email my schoolboard member or I'm going to
show up to the next school boardmeeting because I don't agree
with it or because I support it,right.
So for me, that's how we canbridge gaps and making sure that
you know, while I'm on the dais, I'm asking those questions to
(31:26):
get clarity, to getunderstanding, and that's really
how we get to the root oftransparency, right, that's how
we make things more transparent,and so that's what we need to
continue to do, and you knowI'll continue to do as a board
member, because I know theexperience of my mom and I know
the experiences of many membersin our community.
I want to make sure that theyhave the access to this
(31:48):
information.
Bianca Barquin (31:51):
Wow, so very insightful.
A few things that you said thatare truly compelling for me is
we have to think about our workand we have to do things
differently to be able to meetparents where they are, right?
I think we try, but we have alot more work that we can do in
(32:13):
that area.
The second thing that youmentioned is really us
reflecting and having thatoutwards mindset to be mindful
of every time we're presenting,especially at a board meeting,
making sure that the content wepresent is truly accessible to
the public and to our familiesand to students who may be
(32:34):
listening.
I think that's an importantreminder for us and, Hector,
it's evident in the thoughtfulquestions that you ask every
time we bring something to theboard how you try to get us to
do that, and so thank you.
Hector, as you reflect uponyour journey thus far, can you
share a defining moment thatsolidified your commitment to
(32:58):
education and leadership,perhaps an instance that
reaffirmed your presence on theboard is not just necessary but
transformative?
Hector Bustos (33:09):
Anytime I step into a classroom, it really is a
defining moment for me andreminds me of my commitment to
education and the reason I ranfor this position.
Every time I step into aclassroom, I see myself, I see
my younger self in those seatsand I think about how far along
(33:32):
SAUSD has come from when I wasan elementary student to where
we are today, and that's whatmakes me really, really proud to
say that I'm from Santa Ana,I'm from SAUSD.
I'm a proud product of thisschool district.
You know, as the youngestelected official on the school
(33:54):
board and as a proud member ofthe LGBTQ+ community, first
LGBTQ+ elected official I carrythat with a lot of pride and I'm
really proud to share that withstudents.
And every time that I sharethat I'm, you know, part of the
LGBTQ+ community I feelliberated because you know I
(34:17):
come back to school, to where Iwas really, really scared and
frightened to come out.
But I can do that, and I can doit freely and know that there
might be students in thatclassroom that were in the same
position that I was, but nowthey know that you know there's
someone on the school boardthat's fighting to create a
(34:41):
safer and more enjoyableexperience for them at school
and making sure that, if andwhen they decide to come out,
they have someone on their sidecheering them on and rooting for
them and wanting them to live along, successful life.
And so these are the momentsthat really ground me in why I'm
(35:06):
doing what I'm doing, because Iwant to make sure that every
single one of our students, Imean every single one, feels
like they can come to school andall they have to worry about is
their algebra problem, right?
I oftentimes joke about how Iwas really, really good at math
(35:28):
until I got to the point wherethere were more letters than
numbers in the equation, andthat's really when I started
struggling, right?
You know, those are the thingsthat I want our students to have
to worry about, right, and getthe support that they need to
solve those problems and thoseequations.
But that's it, right?
I want them to feel like theyhave the space to be their
(35:52):
authentic selves.
And so for me again, every timeI step into a school site,
every time I speak to a student,every time that I even speak to
our teachers, that reallysolidifies my commitment to
education, because I know thatthere are other people involved
that are as equally committed,right?
(36:13):
Our teachers, our educators,our school staff.
Like I said earlier, they weremy stability, right?
You know, even if thingsweren't the greatest at home and
maybe I was struggling withwhatever I was struggling with,
like I mentioned earlier, I knewthat every single day there was
going to be someone at thefront of the class teaching.
(36:36):
There was somebody that wascommitted enough to get up you
know, drive to school six, sevenin the morning to prepare a
lesson, right, because theycared about my educational
experience just as much as I did.
These are the moments that Ireally, really feel where, you
(36:58):
know, I can join my communityand feel proud about the things
that I'm doing and feel like I'mworking with the community to
get things done.
And these are the moments thatI feel really, really proud to
be on the board and make surethat our students have access to
all of these educationalopportunities.
Bianca Barquin (37:18):
Thank you for sharing that, and we are also
proud of how far we've come.
We know we still have a lot ofwork to do, but we have come a
long way and we are so proudthat you are on the board of
education.
So next question for you.
Leadership often comes withnavigating through challenges
(37:38):
and opposition.
Can you share an instance whereyour beliefs and strategies
were met with resistance?
How did you navigate through itto ensure the amplification of
every voice within our community?
Hector Bustos (37:52):
This is a great question.
I've actually also put a lot ofthought into this because, you
know, unfortunately my timelineon my social media is flooded
just with so much of that anti-LGBTQ, anti- trans rhetoric
across the country and that'shard on its own right and having
(38:13):
to deal with it every singleday and be exposed to it,
unfortunately, on social mediait's hard.
You know, I think it was maybemy second or third month on the
school board.
We had some folks who aren'tfrom Santa A na a lot of them
were from outside of Santa Ana,who weren't members of this
community that came in and spokepoorly and and said some really
(38:37):
distasteful and reallyhomophobic and transphobic
comments and spewed their hate.
I'll admit it, it was hard,right, it was really hard to sit
that and take it, but I did.
And I did because I knew thatthere might be students sitting
at home who are listening tothis meeting and listening to
(38:58):
this hate that might reallybelieve it, might really get to
the point where they believe itso much that they'd question
taking their own life because ofit.
I think my first month into theboard, even before this
happened, I had a conversationwith someone who knew that I was
part of the community andsupported me.
(39:21):
They said I'm a politicalscientist.
Great, they have a degree inpolitical science.
But they said, when people cometo the school board and spew
their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, justdon't argue with them, just
don't say anything, don't fightback.
But being silent on this issueis not an option for me.
(39:43):
It's not.
I was silent for so much of mylife when I was in the closet
and I wasn't going to staysilent any longer because I know
that my role and the power thatI have will impact the things
that I say, will impact ourcommunity, impact our students.
(40:05):
I've said it and I'll continueto say it the work that we're
doing at SAUSD in terms ofsupporting our LGBTQ+ community
is suicide prevention.
We're keeping people alive,we're keeping our students alive
.
That is so, so, so important.
I will continue to fight back.
(40:28):
I'm not going to stay silent.
I will continue to affirm theexistence, just the mere
existence, of the LGBTQ+community, because we're in your
classrooms, we're your students, we're your teachers, we're
your principals, we're youradministrators, we're your bus
(40:49):
drivers that get to school everysingle day.
We're your nutrition serviceworkers that feed you every
single day.
It's important, for me at leastto make sure that I'm speaking
up and I'm fighting back tocreate an environment and a
culture at SAUSD of empathy.
That's really at the core ofwhat this is, empathy and
(41:13):
understanding and respect.
It's important we humanize thisissue as well.
You can look into all thestatistics and the numbers and
all that.
All you want, but all of thosenumbers, all of those statistics
, are human lives.
Unfortunately, we've lost too,too many young people to
(41:37):
homophobia and transphobia.
We've lost too many.
As we're moving you know, movingtowards election season the
LGBTQ+ community is being usedas a scape goat.
We saw it in 2016 with theimmigrant community and now
we're seeing it with the LGBTQ+community.
(41:59):
We need to continue to fightback on those narratives and we
need to stand up for one another.
And you know, as a cisgendergay man, I don't fully
understand the trans experience,the experiences of a
transgender person, but it'simportant for me, as a member of
(42:21):
this community, to stand insolidarity with the transgender
community and work to understandtheir needs and make sure that
we're advocating and we'refighting alongside them.
There's transgender people inevery part of our community, so
it's important when our allieslook to us and they ask us well,
(42:45):
how can I support you?
I have a rainbow flag up on mywindow or on my porch.
Is that doing enough?
That helps, but it's importantthat you talk about the LGBTQ+
community as human beings, aspeople, we exist.
And so, for me, when we talkabout my beliefs and when we
(43:09):
talk about how I navigatechallenges and opposition, it
all comes back to my fundamentalvalues and what I believe will,
one, right, keep people alive,which is important, but also
value their humanity, valuetheir experiences and value the
(43:33):
situations that they're in, andso I will always do that.
I will continue to do that as aschool board member, because I
know that we can't be silent,that being silent is not an
option in this fight, and so tofolks who are part of the LGBTQ+
community but I also look toour allies to really speak up
(43:58):
and fight back on this rhetoricand fight back on the homophobia
and transphobia and havedifficult conversations.
I'm not saying this issomething that's easy.
I know it's hard to fight backand push back a little bit on
your tia, who might make alittle comment at the dinner
table where you can easily brushit off and just say whatever,
(44:22):
she's from an older generation,she'll never understand, but
that's how we move things andthat's how we shake things up
and that's how we can reallyreally make impactful change is
really starting with ourcommunity and our families.
So I'll continue to support anduplift and empower our LGBTQ+
(44:44):
community from our students, ourteachers, admin, community
members, because being silent isnot an option.
Bianca Barquin (44:53):
So I believe that a beautiful way to
summarize what you said is, one,it starts with empathy, and
two, within your response,powerful words, and words matter
.
So thank you, Hector.
Last question that I have foryou before we get into a
different segment.
Lastly, away from policies,strategies and board decisions,
(45:18):
what personal narratives orexperiences keep your passion
for educational leadershipablaze, and how do these stories
continue to shape your pathforward in ensuring SAUSD is a
beacon of inclusivity,innovation and inspiration?
Hector Bustos (45:38):
So, at the end of the educational journey for our
students here at SAUSD, I wantto make sure that they feel like
they're ready for the world,they're ready to take on the
world.
You know, whatever they decideto do whether it's head to a
community college and thentransfer to a four-year
university, or heading directlyinto a four-year university or
(45:59):
go straight into the workforceit's important that we support
whatever decision our studentstake and make sure that they're
ready and that they're preparedfor that decision.
And so I want to share a littlestory about my experience as a
first-generation collegestudent, just how unprepared I
(46:20):
felt like I was, for the bigworld, the real world and higher
education, because I reallythink that this story and this
personal experience reallyshapes my path forward and my
thinking and how we can continueto be you know this, like you
mentioned, this beacon ofinclusivity, inspiration and
(46:41):
innovation.
You know, like I mentionedearlier, I moved up to the Bay
Area for college.
I went to the University of SanFrancisco, and so first week I
was there, I got an email.
Actually, the week before.
.
.
the week of move-in, so a weekbefore classes started, I
received an email that said youhave to pay X amount or we're
(47:03):
going to drop all of yourclasses.
And I said I don't have $6,000in my bank account right now.
I know my mom doesn't have$6,000 in her bank account.
Like I thought all of this gottaken care of.
Like why am I, you know, a weekbefore classes start, getting
this email and saying you needto come up with this money or
(47:24):
we're dropping every one of yourclasses?
So a week came by and I didn'thave the money.
So, yeah, they dropped all ofmy classes.
And so the day before, you know, classes started, I don't know
what to do.
I don't know who to go toBecause, like I mentioned, this
was the first time anyone in myfamily and I mean anyone, you
(47:44):
know, immediate and extendedfamily went to college.
So I didn't have anyone to relyon to ask, like, who do I go
talk to about this?
And it was the financial aiddepartment was the department
that emailed me about this.
But you know, as we all know,they're not the most responsive
department on college campuses.
And so, you know, I was like,well, I don't know, maybe do I
(48:10):
have a counselor, do they evenhave counselors in college?
Like is that a thing?
And so I did a quick Googlesearch Do they have counselors
in college?
And then put USF right, hopingthat would help.
And I found out that, hey, okay, there are, you know, academic
coaches and academic advisors incollege.
So, you know, I called up myadvisor and I was like, hey, I'm
(48:33):
running into this issue, canyou help me?
And she says, sure, come up tocome up to my office.
You can only imagine, right,like I'm miles and miles and
miles away from home, all on myown.
I'm 18.
And it's the first time I'veever been away from home like
this.
It's a day like, well, I had agood run one week.
I guess I'm moving back becauseI just can't afford, I can't
(48:55):
afford this, right?
And so I had a conversation withmy academic advisor and she
really laid out the options ofwhat we could do.
And you know, this really was afinancial hit and impact on
myself and my family.
You know, these are the kind ofstories that you know I've
shared with folks and, knowingthat, I don't want any of our
(49:18):
students to feel that way orever have to experience that.
So what can we do to preparethem, to make sure that they
have the wealth of knowledge tomove into higher education or
move into the workforce and havethe tools, the tool belt, the
skill set to just walk in like aboss, right, like in whatever
(49:39):
college, university or workplacethey go into and are able to do
that.
And I think, right, that really,really is at the root of what I
want to make sure that we'redoing at SAUSD, that we're
creating these networks andthese opportunities for success
(50:01):
and we're using these thingslike inclusivity, innovation,
inspiration to really guide that, guide that work.
You know, this personalexperience is something that I
think about often and you know Ishare with my nephews and
nieces.
I'm like you're so lucky,you're never going to have to
deal with this, right, you're solucky.
Sometimes it makes me reallyhappy that I know that they'll
(50:24):
never have to go throughsomething like that, because
I've gone through it and Iunderstand it and I can help
them along the way, and that'swhat I want us as a school
district to do for our students.
Bianca Barquin (50:38):
Absolutely.
Very important work that wehave to do in that area to make
sure our kiddos, we're not justtaking care of them while
they're here, but those nextsteps too, so they can just
flourish when they get out ofour system, right?
So, Hector, before we sign off,it's time for our Amplifier
Acknowledgement segment.
(50:59):
If you could amplify themessage or lesson of one
educator or leader who's made asignificant impact in your
journey, who would it be andwhat would that resonating
message be?
Hector Bustos (51:13):
So if I could amplify the message of one
leader in my life, it's going tobe my mom, and it's my mom for
a lot of different reasons.
The biggest thing that she hasshown me and she's taught me is
the power of taking care ofothers and supporting others
(51:35):
through really, really difficultand hard times, and I've seen
the ways that she's done thatfor my brothers and I.
I've seen the ways that she'sdone that for her siblings and
for her parents, and so to me,that's something really special
(51:55):
and it's something that I carryvery, very deeply and closely to
me and my heart, because that'show I lead.
I lead by taking care of others.
I lead by making sure thatwe're meeting the needs of
others and making sure thatpeople have what they need to
(52:19):
feel safe, to feel happy, tofeel supported.
That's a huge lesson that mymom has taught me, and my mom
has the biggest heart out ofeveryone I know.
You know, I don't even know howshe keeps it in her chest.
That's how big it is, right,like it's huge.
She has a huge heart and shehas so much room for love for
(52:45):
other people.
So muchas gracias, mamá, por seruna persona que me ha dado todo
en la vida que necesito parapoder seguir adelante y para
poder cumplir mis metas, porqueyo sé que tu sacrificastes mucho
para mí, sacrificastes muchopara mis hermanos y sigues
(53:10):
sacrificando para toda nuestrafamilia, y quiero que sepas que
tus esfuerzos han sido muyapreciados de mi parte, porque
yo sé que tu has hecho mucho pormí.
Todo lo que hago y todo lo queha cumplido ha sido gran parte
(53:31):
con tu ayuda, so muchas gracias.
And so I wanted to include thatlittle message and that thank
you to my mom, because it's hardsometimes for her and I to say
things like this to each other,and that's okay, right, like
we're learning and we'rebuilding that relationship and
we're learning how to beemotional and how to, you know,
(53:54):
share these things.
And I think COVID had a lotthat played into that, right,
because I was stuck in the housewith her for almost every part
of my day, and so you know, wewere forced to talk and we were
forced to build relationshipsand forced to see, like, every
good and bad side of ourselves,and so these are the lessons
(54:15):
that my mom taught me and theseare the things that make me who
I am, and I'm so proud to callher, my mom, and I'm so proud to
be her son because of her heart, because of her willingness to
give so much to other people,and so I'm thankful to her and
thankful for her lessons and hermessages throughout my life.
Bianca Barquin (54:38):
Wow, what a loving and powerful
acknowledgement.
Thank you.
Amplifiers, we have traversedthrough an enlightening dialogue
, unearthing the heartfeltmotivations in keen strategic
mindset that drives HectorBustos in his role as a pivotal
member of the SAUSD Board ofEducation.
(54:59):
His journey, from the hallwaysof Segerstrom High School to the
boardroom, weaving throughadvocacy for ethnic studies,
book rights and especially forrecognizing and uplifting every
student's narrative, is atapestry of inspiration and a
beacon for innovative,compassionate leadership.
In Hector's story we arereminded that leadership doesn't
(55:24):
have an age limit and trueadvocacy sparkles through when
our personal narrativesintertwine with our professional
roles, creating a symphony ofauthentic, impactful leadership.
Hector Bustos has shown us thatit is entirely possible to
merge one's personal narrativesand beliefs with one's
professional undertakings toforge a path that isn't merely
(55:48):
progressive but also profoundlyresonant and inclusive.
As we close this chapter ofSAUSD's Amplifying Leadership,
we not only acknowledge thepower of Hector's journey and
advocacy, but also invite eachof you to reflect on your own
path.
How does your story, yourchallenges and your triumphs
(56:08):
weave into the tapestry that isyour leadership style?
How do you ensure that everyvoice, every story under your
stewardship is seen, heard andvalidated?
Our stories are our strength,Amplifiers, they are the silent
yet potent threads that sew thefabric of our communities
tighter, especially in timeswhen unity is paramount.
(56:31):
Let us move forward, ensuringthat the trails we blaze are
wide enough for all narratives,all stories and all voices to be
celebrated and uplifted.
Until the next time, stayinspired, stay curious and
continue to amplify theremarkable leadership that
pulses within SAUSD and beyond.
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