Alumni Profile: Sheila Bustillos

Married with two kids and multiple pets, Sheila Bustillos balances her busy schedule of working full time, managing her non-profit, and raising a family. She starts her day with a 4:45am workout, takes her kids to school and then works from home.

“They’re the core of everything I do,” Sheila says about her family.

Sheila has her PhD and works for the Center for Child and Family Studies in Austin, TX. Unlike people on the frontline of child welfare services such as case workers or CASAs, Sheila helps with overall leadership decisions to make the child welfare system better. 

In addition to her job helping improve foster care, Sheila helped found a non-profit during her time at Texas State. The nonprofit, Education Reach for Texans, supports those who age out of foster care. You can find and support the cause at http://www.educationreachfortexans.org.

As one of Stelos Alliance’s Bill Hogue scholarship recipients, Sheila has been involved in non-profits since her time at Texas State in the early 2000’s.

In college, Sheila spent most of her time in Student Foundation, The Network and Men Against Violence peer education groups, and the volleyball team. Coach Chisum still holds a special place in her heart. “She had faith in me and supported me as a player, even though I was far less superior than her star athletes.” She said Texas State was a place where everyone could be a leader if they wanted.

“I loved Texas State,” she said. “It’s a beautiful place to be a young adult.”

Sheila was a part of Student Foundation during a pivotal time for Texas State. She arrived in San Marcos during the transition from Southwest Texas State University to Texas State University. She thanked Dr. Denise Trauth and her vision for the university that has become more rigorous and high profile across the nation during her years of leadership.

She became ingrained in the San Marcos community both with her university activities and through her job at The Tap Room. 

“A lot of my heart is still in San Marcos, Texas,” she said.