SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership Podcast

8. Bridging Voices: Hector Bustos’s Journey from SAUSD Student to Transformative Board Member

• Bianca Barquin • Season 1 • Episode 8

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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

Content Warning:

Content Warning. Dear Amplifying Leadership listeners, please be advised that this episode includes discussions of sensitive topics, including gun violence, mental health struggles and suicide. Listener discretion is advised and we encourage everyone to take care of their emotional and psychological well-being. If you or someone you know is in crisis, we urge you to seek professional help and utilize appropriate resources that are available to assist those in need.

Bianca Barquin:

Greetings, Amplifiers and welcome to yet another inspiring episode of SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership. I'm your host, Bianca Barquin, and today we navigate through a tapestry of leadership that is as vibrant, compelling and enriching as the community it stems from. We're joined by an individual whose journey is not only reflective of the robust spirit of Santa Ana Unified School District, but also serves as an inspiring narrative for young, aspiring leaders who seek to carve out spaces of inclusivity, authenticity and transformative leadership within our educational landscapes. With us today is Hector Bustos, Clerk of SAUSD's Board of Education, an advocate for meaningful and authentic educational experiences, a staunch supporter of ethnic studies and a believer in the imperative that every student's story is not only heard but also valued and celebrated.

Bianca Barquin:

Hector's journey from the halls of Segerstrom High School, where he was an active member of the ASB, to become the youngest and first LGBTQ+ member to serve on our Board of Education is a testament to the power of representation, resilience and rooted belief in the potential embedded within every student's journey. Hector, it's an absolute privilege to have you with us today to explore your leadership story, your intrinsic motivations and the visions that steer your impactful work within our district. So I'd like to get started with questions right away, if that's okay with you. Hector, your journey from a student at Segerstrom High School to a pivotal leader on the Board of Education is truly inspiring. Can you share with us what sparked your advocacy and how your experiences within SAUSD shaped your pathway into leadership?

Hector Bustos:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be able to be a part of this podcast and talk about my story and talk about my vision for SAUSD. I want to begin by sharing the story of my abuelo, who unfortunately passed during the COVID-19 pandemic. But I think that his story really connects to why I'm doing what I'm doing and my value in education. So almost every day I'd run home from school and I'd go and knock on my abuelo's door, you know, take out my backpack, take out a bunch of pencils, crayons, paper from my backpack, and he'd sit on one edge of the bed and I'd sit on the other edge and I'd say, okay, abuelo, welcome to school, welcome to class. And I taught him everything that I learned in school that day. So I would have him write his name first and last, trace the letters with every color of the rainbow. And every single day that I knocked on his door, you know he greeted me and welcomed me with open arms because he knew that I was excited about school. He knew that I was excited about getting home every single day and teaching him everything that I learned, and so for me that was a really, really special experience and I think about that a lot and I think about how that experience, for me, has really shaped how I see education and how I value education.

Hector Bustos:

And so, when I decided to run for school board and run for this position, I often heard you're not experienced enough, you know, you don't have the experience, you're not a classroom teacher.

Hector Bustos:

But I said, actually, I do have the experience. I have 13 years of experience. Now, a proud product of SAUSD, from kindergarten up till senior year of high school, where I graduated from Segerstrom in 2017. And so, yeah, I did have experience. I had 13 years of experience that prepared me for this moment, because no one knows our school district and no one knows this educational institution more than the people that are directly being impacted, which is our students.

Hector Bustos:

And so, for me, this was an opportunity for me to really share my story, and share my experience s, cultivate a culture and an opportunity for students to come to school every day, be ready, be excited and want to come back the next day. And so I really think that that experience and that opportunity that I had with my abuelo every single day after school, with a combination of my desire to come to school every day to teachers that I knew were dedicated and would provide that stability for me every day, because I knew no matter what, the next day there'd be a teacher at the front of the class who was ready to teach. That really sparked my advocacy and my desire to join the school board and really lead our schools into becoming what they can be and what I know they can be for our students.

Bianca Barquin:

You are so right. What an inspirational story. Thank you for sharing especially the thoughtful moments that you cherish with your abuelo. But you're absolutely right; who better than to kind of lead the charge and who knows our systems better than the students who have matriculated through our halls from the very beginning, through graduation? Thank you. So embracing your identity as a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, how have your experiences informed your leadership and advocacy within a space where every student's story matters, especially ensuring that diverse narratives are acknowledged and celebrated within our schools?

Hector Bustos:

So from a very early age I knew that I was gay. I knew that I was part of the LGBTQ+ community. I didn't fully understand it and I didn't really have anyone in my family who had come out and said that they were part of the LGBTQ+ community. There were a few folks at school that I knew were a little different, as I was, but they also weren't very open about it. And so growing up it was really difficult for me to find spaces where I felt safe, and it wasn't because I thought that coming out would mean that I'd lose my family or lose my friends. It was more so feeling like I would be an outsider, feeling like if I told someone that would make them think differently of me. And so I was in the closet all throughout middle school, which was when I first really identified that I was gay up until high school. And it wasn't until I moved to San Francisco where I went for undergrad, where I was able to find a community that was visible, that was celebrated, until I felt like I had the friends and the support system that I knew I could come out to. And so for me, I think coming out to my family I would say is probably one of the proudest moments of my life, because it was an opportunity for me to share my authentic self.

Hector Bustos:

And so queer people don't really grow up as ourselves.

Hector Bustos:

We grow up playing this version of ourselves that we really create to protect ourselves from prejudice, and so we're really sacrificing authenticity.

Hector Bustos:

And so now I see that my job and my task as an adult person is to really unpick those parts that are authentically me and those parts that I had to create to protect myself and make sure that I kept myself safe.

Hector Bustos:

And it's been a challenge, it's been a struggle and it's been real. It's been hard because you live with this person, yourself, for so long and you're really covering who you truly are, and it's difficult having to face that person as an adult after coming out and saying, well, this is the real me and this is someone that others thought was the real me that's not. So not only am I doing this for myself, which is my main priority, but it's also with other people and feeling comfortable enough being my true, authentic self to my mom, to my brothers, to my tias, to my friends, and so I really think that my experiences have really shaped the way that I see issues that particularly pertain to our LGBTQ+ students and making sure that we're creating the space at SAUSD where we're valuing every single student's story and we're making sure that we're creating spaces that are safe, where students feel like their diverse narratives can really rise to the top, because we have hardworking educators, hardworking families and hardworking board members that are really putting these needs at the forefront.

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you, Hector, so much for sharing that. I think that what you just shared is compelling in every single person within our system. Especially SAUSD as an organization, needs to hear this. Two things that you said, at least in my mind, super compelling: We have to create safe spaces for students so they can be their authentic selves and realize that their stories matter, their diverse narratives actually matter. So how do we ensure that we do that right is the question, and I think that that's something that we're continuously working on. So thank you. My next question for you, and it's related. Your stance on ethnic studies and opposition to book banning has been notably strong. Can you delve deeper into why ensuring the survival and thriving of such programs is essential to you and how do you envision these areas evolving within SAUSD?

Hector Bustos:

This is a great question, and I really had the opportunity to think about this question a lot and think about my educational experience at SAUSD and, unfortunately, while I was a student at the school district, I often found that the history lessons and the projects that I'd be working on really were not reflective of the history that I was being taught at home. I was learning two completely different things at school and at home, so I didn't know who to believe, and so for me it was really difficult, you know, reading stories, reading about history that didn't particularly tie to the history of my community. And so that's why I think ethnic studies is so important, because it gives students the opportunity to dive into a book, to dive into a project, to get involved in the community and really connect with the stories and experiences and the history of their community, of their families. And so we know that ethnic studies is really paving the way for students to take power and really take control and make them feel empowered and wanting to learn about, you know, their history and their background and the generations that came before them and fought for their rights and fought for their ability to have access to this kind of education that they have access to now right? And so for me, as a board member, it's really important to support ethnic studies and support the implementation of ethnic studies and make sure that every single one of our students, before they graduate from high school, have access to these opportunities, have access to these educational options and feel like they see themselves in their history books.

Hector Bustos:

And so, as I think about the future of ethnic studies in SAUSD, I see a future where we start teaching ethnic studies from the very first moment our students step into the classroom, you know? Making sure that we're providing a curriculum and providing the support for our students to have access to that, right, and making sure that, as always, we're centering community and centering the history of those that have been impacted by these systems of oppression, that have been impacted by the educational system, and really breaking down these barriers to ensure that our students can move forward and have the tools and the skill set to be able to do that. So ethnic studies is something that I really pride myself in knowing, and when I talk about SAUSD, I always mention ethnic studies, because we're a leader in this and I'm really proud of that and I'm proud of the work that we're doing.

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you for sharing that, Hector. And it's true, you're on the right track: we are really looking at expanding ethnic studies and making it a priority that every learning experience that a child engages in from elementary, when they're little, all the way through high school is meaningful and relevant and authentic. Sometimes it's not, but we're really working towards that goal, shifting the paradigm to become learner-centered. Okay, next question for you. Being the youngest board member ever to serve SAUSD, what unique perspectives do you believe your generational viewpoint brings to the table? How do you navigate the intricacies of board decision-making while staying true to your youthful insight and experiences?

Hector Bustos:

So I'm very proud to say that I'm part of Gen Z, and this is a generation that really is breaking barriers and is calling attention to the years and years and years of oppression that our communities have been facing and really fighting back. And I'm really proud about being a part of the generation that is leading efforts on gun control, leading efforts on environmental justice, because we know that the future is ours, right? We're still going to be around for the next 20, 30, 50, 60 years, and so it's important for us to be able to advocate for issues that we know we'll have to deal with in 40, 50 years from now. That we know that, if and when we decide to have children, it's also something that they're going to have, they're going to inherit, and so we want to create a better future for ourselves and for our families, and this is also part of the reason that I decided to run for the school board.

Hector Bustos:

I was born in 1999, one month before the Columbine shooting. In 2012, I was an eighth grader at McFadden, that was the Sandy Hook shooting. And then, in 2018, I was a first- year in college, and that's when the Parkland shooting happened. And so when people talk about school safety, I understand it because there were many, many points while I was in school where I didn't feel safe, and so I understand when our students and when our teachers and when our parents worry about going to school. My senior year of high school, there was a school shooting threat that was spread across social media, and on one of the social media posts, the person that was threatening to shoot up the school directly attacked me, and for me that's still something that I'm having to live through until to today, primarily because I didn't get the help that I needed at that point. The next day I arrived to school, I wasn't greeted by a psychologist. I was greeted by five police officers who sat me down in a room and started questioning me and making me feel like I had done something wrong, and so that entire day I walked around campus feeling scared for my safety. I didn't even feel safe enough to go to the restroom between periods, and so it's hard, and it's a reality that I know that many of our students face, and as a result of that and as a result of a multitude of things, right, I struggled a lot with my mental health those last few years of high school and I didn't feel like I had that support system at school where I could talk about the things that I was going through, and it got to the point where I was really, really considering taking my life and I was, you know, living through that on my own, right?

Hector Bustos:

And a lot of that had to do with, you know, not wanting to worry my mom, not wanting her to know that I was struggling, because I knew she was struggling on her own, right?

Hector Bustos:

She's a single mom who was working full-time jobs, working overtime, just to be able to, you know, pay the rent every month, and so I know she had issues of her own and I didn't want to be a burden, a bigger burden.

Hector Bustos:

And so, you know, this youthful insight that I bring to the board and I bring to the school district really is from personal experience and wanting to make sure that our students don't feel scared to go to school every single day, that our students feel like, you know, we have school psychologists, we have therapists, we have counselors who they can talk to. You know, I have a bunch of nieces and nephews who I want to make sure that they have access to all of these opportunities and they never feel the way that I did and a lot of that is my motivation for doing the work that I'm doing, and I know that young people have the power to be able to change things, and I know that young people and this generation is going to be the group, is going to be the generation that ensures that we have safe schools, that ensures that we have a planet that we can live in 50 years from now, and so, for me, these experiences and this insight is what really drives my decision making on the board.

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you, Hector, for your vulnerability in sharing your personal experience, knowing that it's going to make a difference for so many. No student should feel alone. Every child, every student within the system should understand and know that there's a system of supports for them, which is why we have priorities around school safety, mental health and just providing, again, that system of support for students. But what I appreciate most about your story is your advocacy. Yes, I do believe the future is here and the future is yours and every other Gen Z-er, and that you are making a difference. So, Hector, I want to shift gears a little bit. As you peer into the future of SAUSD, what are your aspirations for the district and how do you plan on strategically championing initiatives that ensure that every student experiences an education that is both meaningful and authentic?

Hector Bustos:

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 to be successful in the classroom and outside of the classroom. So it's our job to listen, and for me, that's been the biggest, biggest motivator as a school board member is to making sure that we're in the classrooms, we're there during lunchtime, we're there during after- school programs, talking to students, better understanding what they need to be successful. And making sure that we're also collaborating with our community partners, creating partnerships with our educational partners, with our families, with our community organizations, with our educators. It's important that we capture every single one of our students and make sure that every single one of our students feels like they have an outlet, like they have a support system and that they feel they can be successful in whatever they do on our campuses. And so, as I look forward into the future of SAUSD, I have a lot of aspirations for how our school district can really champion initiatives to ensure that every single student has access to these opportunities. But we can't do that if we're not listening to students. We can't do that if we're not meeting them where they're at.

Hector Bustos:

As a student, I'll tell you, you know, oftentimes I felt like a lot of the programs, activities that 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 that unless they were actively trying to reach out to our student body and making that effort to better understand what our students need. And so for me, you know, every board meeting and every time I go through, you know, and have meetings with the superintendent, I always ask well, how are we getting our students involved and how are we capturing the input of our students? Because for me that's the biggest motivator and that group of people is who we're here to serve.

Bianca Barquin:

So what I'm hearing you say and I'm so excited because really it has become a priority for us is really student voice and choice. We are conducting listening sessions and no longer designing learning experiences without the input of our children, because the way we did it before, without actually thinking that we were doing these very cool things that children would be interested in, our students would be interested in, sometimes, it was really irrelevant for them and not meaningful at all. So thank you. Next question for you. In your role, you interact with various stakeholders, from students and parents to staff and community members. How do you bridge the gap between administrative decisions and diverse community needs, ensuring a cohesive, mutually beneficial educational environment?

Hector Bustos:

So my heart is with my community and that is really central to how I make decisions on the dais. I'm a strong believer in meeting people where they're at. We can't expect things to change and expect people to come to us. It's up to us to go out to the schools. It's up to us to have conversations with students and parents and staff to better understand the diverse needs that each one of our stakeholders has in our educational system. And so I'll share a little bit about my mom's experience and what it was like for her, you know, being a single mom, being working class, and so you know my mom worked a full-time job, oftentimes worked over time, so she'd go into work every single day at 6am, so when I would wake up every morning my mom was already at work. She'd get off at work around 3:30–4, and so she couldn't pick me up right after school. And so she really relied on after-school programs, and so I wouldn't see my mom until about maybe 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 and she had to do this because, again, she was a single mom who was raising three children and who made sure that we always had what we needed. You know, she was a Spanish- speaker, so oftentimes there were a lot of difficulties with the language barrier and I remember having parent conferences and I had teachers that didn't speak Spanish. Sometimes there was an interpreter and sometimes I had to do it. Sometimes I had to be the interpreter for my mom. She didn't know about a lot of the resources that were offered by the school district. She didn't know about a lot of the resources that were being offered outside of the school district and in the community. You know, we made do with what we had, and I think that her experience is very similar to the experience of a lot of immigrant working- class families and parents. When I ran for office, to this day, I think about that. I think about the parent that wakes up every morning at 6am and gets off of work every day at 3, 4. I think about the parent that has to work weekends, has to work double shifts and it's exhausting, right? And I know that parents will want to be involved. Parents will want to be engaged in our schools, and so what can we do to be able to meet them where they're at? What can we do to provide these resources to be able to bring them in? Because we know that when our parents are involved in our schools, our schools thrive.

Hector Bustos:

I've had the opportunity to visit almost every single one of our schools. I made the promise to our administrators this summer that by the very end of my first year as a member of the school board, I was going to step into every single school site at least once, and I'm almost there. I think I have about I think less than maybe 15 schools, and so I still have maybe like two months, two months to be able to do that. So I think I'm on the right track. And every time I visit a school site, more often than not I find parents there. I find parents being active in our community, and that's what I want for our parents. I want parents to feel like our schools can be a second home for them. I want them to feel like active members of our school community, of this educational system. I want them to know that there's programs and resources for them. We have so many robust and engaging programs for our parents at various school sites. So I want them to take part in those kinds of things, and so that's how we can bridge these gaps by really building these relationships, meeting our families where they're at.

Hector Bustos:

And for myself, as a school board member, you know, oftentimes before I joined the school board as a student, as a member of the community, I would tune into school board meetings. I'd listen in and try to understand what the school board was talking about and what they were trying to pass and the things that they were trying to do. And oftentimes, you know, I didn't understand what the heck they were talking about, what the heck they were trying to do, cause it was just a bunch of jargon, right? It was these concepts that were so hard for me to understand. So now, as a school board member, I sit on that dais and I think about our parents listening at home, I think about our students listening at home.

Hector Bustos:

Like, is this something that we're making accessible? Is this something that we're doing to like... are we doing enough to make sure that the things that we're presenting and the things that we're showcasing to our community is something that they can connect to and fully understand and want to get engaged in? Cause if someone doesn't understand a concept or doesn't understand, you know like I mean when we talk about the budget, right, like all of these numbers and all of these line items, and that's hard, I mean for me, even as a first-time school board, you know, first-year school board member, you know that's challenging and so I can only... and that's me knowing that this is my role and my responsibilities.

Hector Bustos:

So I sat with that for hours and days and I mean for a parent that has maybe 30 minutes out of their day in between, you know, just finishing dinner and putting their kids to bed and want to, you know, maybe, watch or tune into a school board meeting or look through the agenda.

Hector Bustos:

Is this something that they can quickly look at and understand and say, okay, great, this is something that I'm supportive of. Or, hey, maybe this isn't something that I'm supportive of. I'm going to email my school board member or I'm going to show up to the next school board meeting because I don't agree with it or because I support it, right. So for me, that's how we can bridge gaps and making sure that you know, while I'm on the dais, I'm asking those questions to get clarity, to get understanding, and that's really how we get to the root of transparency, right, that's how we make things more transparent, and so that's what we need to continue to do, and you know I'll continue to do as a board member, because I know the experience of my mom and I know the experiences of many members in our community. I want to make sure that they have the access to this information.

Bianca Barquin:

Wow, so very insightful. A few things that you said that are truly compelling for me is we have to think about our work and we have to do things differently to be able to meet parents where they are, right? I think we try, but we have a lot more work that we can do in that area. The second thing that you mentioned is really us reflecting and having that outwards mindset to be mindful of every time we're presenting, especially at a board meeting, making sure that the content we present is truly accessible to the public and to our families and to students who may be listening. I think that's an important reminder for us and, Hector, it's evident in the thoughtful questions that you ask every time we bring something to the board how you try to get us to do that, and so thank you. Hector, as you reflect upon your journey thus far, can you share a defining moment that solidified your commitment to education and leadership, perhaps an instance that reaffirmed your presence on the board is not just necessary but transformative?

Hector Bustos:

Anytime I step into a classroom, it really is a defining moment for me and reminds me of my commitment to education and the reason I ran for this position. Every time I step into a classroom, I see myself, I see my younger self in those seats and I think about how far along SAUSD has come from when I was an elementary student to where we are today, and that's what makes me really, really proud to say that I'm from Santa Ana, I'm from SAUSD. I'm a proud product of this school district. You know, as the youngest elected official on the school board and as a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, first LGBTQ+ elected official I carry that with a lot of pride and I'm really proud to share that with students. And every time that I share that I'm, you know, part of the LGBTQ+ community I feel liberated because you know I come back to school, to where I was really, really scared and frightened to come out. But I can do that, and I can do it freely and know that there might be students in that classroom that were in the same position that I was, but now they know that you know there's someone on the school board that's fighting to create a safer and more enjoyable experience for them at school and making sure that, if and when they decide to come out, they have someone on their side cheering them on and rooting for them and wanting them to live a long, successful life. And so these are the moments that really ground me in why I'm doing what I'm doing, because I want to make sure that every single one of our students, I mean every single one, feels like they can come to school and all they have to worry about is their algebra problem, right?

Hector Bustos:

I oftentimes joke about how I was really, really good at math until I got to the point where there were more letters than numbers in the equation, and that's really when I started struggling, right? You know, those are the things that I want our students to have to worry about, right, and get the support that they need to solve those problems and those equations. But that's it, right? I want them to feel like they have the space to be their authentic selves. And so for me again, every time I step into a school site, every time I speak to a student, every time that I even speak to our teachers, that really solidifies my commitment to education, because I know that there are other people involved that are as equally committed, right? Our teachers, our educators, our school staff. Like I said earlier, they were my stability, right? You know, even if things weren't the greatest at home and maybe I was struggling with whatever I was struggling with, like I mentioned earlier, I knew that every single day there was going to be someone at the front of the class teaching.

Hector Bustos:

There was somebody that was committed enough to get up you know, drive to school six, seven in the morning to prepare a lesson, right, because they cared about my educational experience just as much as I did. These are the moments that I really, really feel where, you know, I can join my community and feel proud about the things that I'm doing and feel like I'm working with the community to get things done. And these are the moments that I feel really, really proud to be on the board and make sure that our students have access to all of these educational opportunities.

Bianca Barquin:

Thank you for sharing that, and we are also proud of how far we've come. We know we still have a lot of work to do, but we have come a long way and we are so proud that you are on the board of education. So next question for you. Leadership often comes with navigating through challenges and opposition. Can you share an instance where your beliefs and strategies were met with resistance? How did you navigate through it to ensure the amplification of every voice within our community?

Hector Bustos:

This is a great question. I've actually also put a lot of thought into this because, you know, unfortunately my timeline on my social media is flooded just with so much of that anti- LGBTQ, anti- trans rhetoric across the country and that's hard on its own right and having to deal with it every single day and be exposed to it, unfortunately, on social media it's hard. You know, I think it was maybe my second or third month on the school board. We had some folks who aren't from Santa A na a lot of them were from outside of Santa Ana, who weren't members of this community that came in and spoke poorly and and said some really distasteful and really homophobic 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 that there might be students sitting at home who are listening to this meeting and listening to this hate that might really believe it, might really get to the point where they believe it so much that they'd question taking their own life because of it. I think my first month into the board, even before this happened, I had a conversation with someone who knew that I was part of the community and supported me. They said I'm a political scientist. Great, they have a degree in political science. But they said, when people come to the school board and spew their anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, just don't argue with them, just don't say anything, don't fight back.

Hector Bustos:

But being silent on this issue is not an option for me. It's not. I was silent for so much of my life when I was in the closet and I wasn't going to stay silent any longer because I know that my role and the power that I have will impact the things that I say, will impact our community, impact our students. I've said it and I'll continue to say it the work that we're doing at SAUSD in terms of supporting 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. I'm not going to stay silent. I will continue to affirm the existence, 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 your administrators, we're your bus drivers that get to school every single day. We're your nutrition service workers that feed you every single day.

Hector Bustos:

It's important, for me at least to make sure that I'm speaking up and I'm fighting back to create an environment and a culture at SAUSD of empathy. That's really at the core of what this is, empathy and understanding and respect. It's important we humanize this issue as well. You can look into all the statistics and the numbers and all that. All you want, but all of those numbers, all of those statistics, are human lives. Unfortunately, we've lost too, too many young people to homophobia and transphobia. We've lost too many.

Hector Bustos:

As we're moving you know, moving towards election season the LGBTQ+ community is being used as a scape goat. We saw it in 2016 with the immigrant community and now we're seeing it with the LGBTQ+ community. We need to continue to fight back on those narratives and we need to stand up for one another. And you know, as a cisgender gay man, I don't fully understand the trans experience, the experiences of a transgender person, but it's important for me, as a member of this community, to stand in solidarity with the transgender community and work to understand their needs and make sure that we're advocating and we're fighting alongside them. There's transgender people in every part of our community, so it's important when our allies look to us and they ask us well, how can I support you? I have a rainbow flag up on my window or on my porch. Is that doing enough? That helps, but it's important that you talk about the LGBTQ+ community as human beings, as people, we exist.

Hector Bustos:

And so, for me, when we talk about my beliefs and when we talk about how I navigate challenges and opposition, it all comes back to my fundamental values and what I believe will, one, right, keep people alive, which is important, but also value their humanity, value their experiences and value the situations that they're in, and so I will always do that.

Hector Bustos:

I will continue to do that as a school board member, because I know that we can't be silent, that being silent is not an option in this fight, and so to folks who are part of the LGBTQ+ community but I also look to our allies to really speak up and fight back on this rhetoric and fight back on the homophobia and transphobia and have difficult conversations. I'm not saying this is something that's easy. I know it's hard to fight back and push back a little bit on your tia, who might make a little comment at the dinner table where you can easily brush it off and just say whatever, she's from an older generation, she'll never understand, but that's how we move things and that's how we shake things up and that's how we can really really make impactful change is really starting with our community and our families. So I'll continue to support and uplift and empower our LGBTQ+ community from our students, our teachers, admin, community members, because being silent is not an option.

Bianca Barquin:

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 for you before we get into a different segment. Lastly, away from policies, strategies and board decisions, what personal narratives or experiences keep your passion for educational leadership ablaze, and how do these stories continue to shape your path forward in ensuring SAUSD is a beacon of inclusivity, innovation and inspiration?

Hector Bustos:

So, at the end of the educational journey for our students here at SAUSD, I want to make sure that they feel like they're ready for the world, they're ready to take on the world. You know, whatever they decide to do whether it's head to a community college and then transfer to a four-year university, or heading directly into a four-year university or go straight into the workforce it's important that we support whatever decision our students take and make sure that they're ready and that they're prepared for that decision. And so I want to share a little story about my experience as a first-generation college student, just how unprepared I felt like I was, for the big world, the real world and higher education, because I really think that this story and this personal experience really shapes my path forward and my thinking and how we can continue to be you know this, like you mentioned, this beacon of inclusivity, inspiration and innovation. You know, like I mentioned earlier, I moved up to the Bay Area for college. I went to the University of San Francisco, and so first week I was there, I got an email. Actually, the week before... the week of move-in, so a week before classes started, I received an email that said you have to pay X amount or we're going to drop all of your classes. And I said I don't have $6,000 in my bank account right now. I know my mom doesn't have $6,000 in her bank account. Like I thought all of this got taken care of. Like why am I, you know, a week before classes start, getting this email and saying you need to come up with this money or we're dropping every one of your classes? So a week came by and I didn't have the money. So, yeah, they dropped all of my classes. And so the day before, you know, classes started, I don't know what to do. I don't know who to go to Because, like I mentioned, this was the first time anyone in my family and I mean anyone, you know, immediate and extended family went to college.

Hector Bustos:

So I didn't have anyone to rely on to ask, like, who do I go talk to about this? And it was the financial aid department 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 have a counselor, do they even have counselors in college? Like is that a thing? And so I did a quick Google search Do they have counselors in college? And then put USF right, hoping that would help. And I found out that, hey, okay, there are, you know, academic coaches and academic advisors in college.

Hector Bustos:

So, you know, I called up my advisor and I was like, hey, I'm running into this issue, can you help me? And she says, sure, come up to come up to my office. You can only imagine, right, like I'm miles and miles and miles away from home, all on my own. I'm 18. And it's the first time I've ever been away from home like this. It's a day like, well, I had a good run one week. I guess I'm moving back because I just can't afford, I can't afford this, right?

Hector Bustos:

And so I had a conversation with my academic advisor and she really laid out the options of what we could do. And you know, this really was a financial hit and impact on myself and my family. You know, these are the kind of stories that you know I've shared with folks and, knowing that, I don't want any of our students to feel that way or ever have to experience that. So what can we do to prepare them, to make sure that they have the wealth of knowledge to move into higher education or move into the workforce and have the tools, the tool belt, the skill set to just walk in like a boss, right, like in whatever college, university or workplace they go into and are able to do that.

Hector Bustos:

And I think, right, that really, really is at the root of what I want to make sure that we're doing at SAUSD, that we're creating these networks and these opportunities for success and we're using these things like inclusivity, innovation, inspiration to really guide that, guide that work. You know, this personal experience is something that I think about often and you know I share 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 so lucky. Sometimes it makes me really happy that I know that they'll never have to go through something like that, because I've gone through it and I understand it and I can help them along the way, and that's what I want us as a school district to do for our students.

Bianca Barquin:

Absolutely. Very important work that we have to do in that area to make sure our kiddos, we're not just taking care of them while they're here, but those next steps too, so they can just flourish when they get out of our system, right? So, Hector, before we sign off, it's time for our Amplifier Acknowledgement segment. If you could amplify the message or lesson of one educator or leader who's made a significant impact in your journey, who would it be and what would that resonating message be?

Hector Bustos:

So if I could amplify the message of one leader in my life, it's going to be my mom, and it's my mom for a lot of different reasons. The biggest thing that she has shown me and she's taught me is the power of taking care of others and supporting others through really, really difficult and hard times, and I've seen the ways that she's done that for my brothers and I. I've seen the ways that she's done that for her siblings and for her parents, and so to me, that's something really special and it's something that I carry very, very deeply and closely to me and my heart, because that's how I lead. I lead by taking care of others. I lead by making sure that we're meeting the needs of others and making sure that people have what they need to feel safe, to feel happy, to feel supported. That's a huge lesson that my mom has taught me, and my mom has the biggest heart out of everyone I know. You know, I don't even know how she keeps it in her chest. That's how big it is, right, like it's huge. She has a huge heart and she has so much room for love for other people.

Hector Bustos:

So muchas gracias, mamá, por ser una persona que me ha dado todo en la vida que necesito para poder seguir adelante y para poder cumplir mis metas, porque yo sé que tu sacrificastes mucho para mí, sacrificastes mucho para mis hermanos y sigues sacrificando para toda nuestra familia, y quiero que sepas que tus esfuerzos han sido muy apreciados de mi parte, porque yo sé que tu has hecho mucho por mí.

Hector Bustos:

Todo lo que hago y todo lo que ha cumplido ha sido gran parte con tu ayuda, so muchas gracias.

Hector Bustos:

And so I wanted to include that little message and that thank you to my mom, because it's hard sometimes for her and I to say things like this to each other, and that's okay, right, like we're learning and we're building that relationship and we're learning how to be emotional and how to, you know, share these things. And I think COVID had a lot that played into that, right, because I was stuck in the house with her for almost every part of my day, and so you know, we were forced to talk and we were forced to build relationships and forced to see, like, every good and bad side of ourselves, and so these are the lessons that my mom taught me and these are the things that make me who I am, and I'm so proud to call her, 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 her messages throughout my life.

Bianca Barquin:

Wow, what a loving and powerful acknowledgement. Thank you. Amplifiers, we have traversed through an enlightening dialogue, unearthing the heartfelt motivations in keen strategic mindset that drives Hector Bustos in his role as a pivotal member of the SAUSD Board of Education. His journey, from the hallways of Segerstrom High School to the boardroom, weaving through advocacy for ethnic studies, book rights and especially for recognizing and uplifting every student's narrative, is a tapestry of inspiration and a beacon for innovative, compassionate leadership. In Hector's story we are reminded that leadership doesn't have an age limit and true advocacy sparkles through when our personal narratives intertwine with our professional roles, creating a symphony of authentic, impactful leadership. Hector Bustos has shown us that it is entirely possible to merge one's personal narratives and beliefs with one's professional undertakings to forge a path that isn't merely progressive but also profoundly resonant and inclusive.

Bianca Barquin:

As we close this chapter of SAUSD's Amplifying Leadership, we not only acknowledge the power of Hector's journey and advocacy, but also invite each of you to reflect on your own path. How does your story, your challenges and your triumphs weave into the tapestry that is your leadership style? How do you ensure that every voice, every story under your stewardship is seen, heard and validated? Our stories are our strength, Amplifiers, they are the silent yet potent threads that sew the fabric of our communities tighter, especially in times when unity is paramount. Let us move forward, ensuring that the trails we blaze are wide enough for all narratives, all stories and all voices to be celebrated and uplifted. Until the next time, stay inspired, stay curious and continue to amplify the remarkable leadership that pulses within SAUSD and beyond.