Sandra Bustillos’ path to becoming a beloved educator was anything but conventional, marked by years in a convent, a harrowing escape from Tijuana and an eventual journey to the classroom through resilience.
When Bustillos saw the nuns outside having fun, she immediately knew she wanted to live a life like theirs. She knew the nuns had access to education, safety and protection.
At age 17, Bustillos joined the convent in hopes of more opportunities. As one of 12 children, she wasn’t financially able to pay for new shoes, let alone fund a higher-education.
Bustillos sought the opportunity to be granted a university-level education. For her, being a nun was an obvious choice as they were given the resources to accomplish this.
Yet, something was missing: freedom. After 10 years of serving the community, Bustillos left the comfort of the convent to seek the adventures of the world.
“God made us free,” is the sentiment she shared with the nuns as she departed from her small Mexican town of Álamos, Sonora and sought out something bigger. She joined her sister for the potential to work in Tijuana, Mexico.
This experience was short-lived. In her fourth month of residence, after a night of drinking, she was left alone with her boss. He claimed he’d take her home safely, but instead, he left and took advantage of her, leaving her vulnerable.
Her boss asked her if she was a virgin, and she explained she was. After putting her in a compromising position, he asked if she was scared. In a moment of quick thinking, Bustillos said, “No, but I would like some wine.” When he got up to get the wine, she ran and found help nearby.
“Be brave in every moment,” Bustillos said, recalling the encounter.
That is the lesson Bustillos learned from her experience in Tijuana. While the situation was not ideal, she explained it was time to face the real world without the institution that the convent brought her.
Being a young woman left her vulnerable in society. Bustillos felt like she wasn’t protected anymore due to the fact that she no longer wore her nun uniform.
She left Tijuana, feeling fearful and returned home to feel a sense of safety.
With her time, Bustillos decided to create a foundation to raise money for women struggling with cancer. She wanted to help empower women and give those a voice who did not have one.
One day, when raising funds for her organization, she met a white man in her town plaza who seemed willing to donate.
The man ended up being her future husband. In just 4 months, they wed and Bustillos had followed him to Colorado, where he worked as a teacher. She quickly had a child and raised him with her husband.
For Bustillos, finding a husband with a stable income and life led her to have the opportunity to receive an associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees at various institutions within New Mexico.
After finishing her degrees, Bustillos felt fearful and distraught. She believed nobody would want to hire a 38-year-old Latina with a strong accent. However, the University of Arizona Spanish and Portuguese Department offered Bustillos a job, where she began as a teaching assistant.
Bustillos started by assisting Edgard Ore-Giron, a long time professor at the University of Arizona. The two quickly connected on a professional and personal level.
Ore-Giron described Bustillos as “a gentle soul.” He explained that she taught him a level of kindness that “transcends dimensions.”
“I wish they could clone her and make more professors like her,” Ore-Giron said.
Bustillos gained more than she could have ever imagined. Living a life full of education, love and fun is all that she wanted.
While Bustillos did have all of that, she has also inspired hundreds of students and many faculty members to lead with love and kindness above all.
“The world needs love so I’m going to show and feel that,” Bustillos added.
Bustillo’s radiant smile was seen all over campus, whether she was teaching, dancing or riding her bike. She leads with kindness and always encourages students to be happy.
Bustillos hopes to leave a lasting legacy of “being in love with everything,” she said. To her, love is the most important thing someone can have.
Because of Bustillos’ love for her family, she decided to rejoin her son and husband in Sedona during the 2025-2026 academic year and teach at a private school.
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DISCLOSURE: Sandra Bustillos no longer works for the University of Arizona, as she decided to rejoin her family in Sedona. That said, her lasting impression on her students at the UA led to the creation of this profile.
