Catchin' Up With a Cookie: Sonia Bustos Barocio
Sonia Bustos Barocio
2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, UCLA; 2022 Graduate Scholar, Stanford University
Sonia is a graduate student at Stanford University where she is investigating mechanisms underlying tissue regeneration and cancer induction using the Mexican Axolotl as a model organism. During her time at UCLA, she worked at the David Geffen School of Medicine, where she investigated gene therapy for retinal degeneration. She was also a STEM mentor for the Academic Advancement Program where she helped community college transfer students find summer internships and apply for research fellowships. Sonia has been an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), where she advocates for the inclusion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education. She is passionate about fighting for policies that support undocumented and DACA students. Outside of the laboratory, Sonia enjoys dancing, cooking, cycling, and practicing martial arts.
What does being a Cooke Scholar mean to you?
I feel so grateful to be part of an incredible group of Scholars who truly care about making the world a better place. One thing that Cooke Scholars have in common is that they strive to be leaders in their communities. I feel so inspired by the work my colleagues are doing to advocate for the inclusion of Latinos and other individuals from marginalized communities in higher education. One of my life-long aspirations is to increase the number of students from underserved backgrounds in STEM graduate programs. As a graduate student at Stanford, I'm currently trying to develop a pipeline program where DACA, undocumented students and community college students can get mentorship from PhD students in the Biosciences. My ultimate goal is to design a summer research program for community college students who are not typically eligible for federally funded summer internships due to their legal status.
The most remarkable thing about Cooke Scholars is that although they are highly successful individuals, they are also extremely humble. For me, this is the most important thing. As a student at Stanford, I spend a lot of time at El Centro Chicano y Latino because I absolutely love being surrounded by people who take pride in where they came from. I think there's nothing more beautiful than embracing your cultural roots and sharing a little bit about the food from your country, the music that makes your heart beat, and the values that make you who you are. I feel so lucky that I have a dedicated space on campus where I can get to know people from Cuba, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, and many other incredible countries. For me, it has been really important to share a space with people who look like me and understand my perspective on things such as hard work and dedication, which were culturally inculcated in me at an early age.
Another thing that I respect about Cooke Scholars is that they are extremely resilient. Many of them have endured many difficult circumstances in their lives, and despite that, they overcame many socioeconomic, political, and educational barriers to achieve their professional and academic aspirations. The remarkable thing is that if you ask them about it, many of them are very generous in sharing their incredible journey.
Tell us about a memorable moment in undergrad.
One of the most memorable moments of my academic career was when I published my first research paper. I was beyond excited because I had worked on a research project at UCLA with some of my best friends (former research mentors and collaborators) and it felt so rewarding to be able to share our findings with the rest of the world. We basically characterized a gene that is commonly mutated in Usher Syndrome.
Usher syndrome is a debilitating disease, where children are born completely deaf, and then become progressively blind. This disease is caused by a single mutation in the Myosin 7a gene. The focus of my study was to characterize this mutation and use gene-editing technology to correct it. This research was so important to me because I can't imagine what it would feel like to lose your hearing and then your vision. I can't imagine the pain and suffering these children, and their loved ones, have to endure. This fueled a burning desire to do as much as I could possibly do to find a possible therapeutic treatment. Through this process, I utterly fell in love with science. Being a researcher makes me feel like my life has purpose because I find the work I do very rewarding. It's mind-blowing to me that scientists could develop therapeutic treatments for many diseases that will benefit millions of people, many of whom they will never meet.
What is ONE THING YOU DID TO HELP TRANSITION TO YOUR FIRST YEAR OUT OF COLLEGE?
After I graduated, I immediately started working. It was a very easy transition for me because I got hired to work in the same laboratory where I volunteered as an undergraduate student. I knew most of the people, and I was very familiar with the projects. One of the things I loved about this new chapter of my life was that I had more free time to spend with my family. I was also able to reconnect with some of my old friends from community college. I’ve always been a curious individual, so after I graduated from UCLA, I continued to learn computer science and spent a lot of time doing sports. I spent my summers surfing in Santa Monica and my winters snowboarding in Pinecrest. It was really fun to learn something new, and although I was terrible at both sports, it was extremely rewarding every time I got a little better and accomplished small achievements.
What was the last book you read, movie/show you watched, or podcast you listened to that you really enjoyed and highly recommended?
The last good show I watched was "The Bear". I enjoyed watching it because the story was very compelling. It took the audience through a journey that explores elements of sorrow, fear, anger, anxiety, compassion, and what it means to be a friend. I also love to cook, so I am naturally inclined to watch anything that is related to cooking or a chef's journey.
If you were to create your own cookie, what would it consist of and what name would you give it?
I don’t really like cookies, but I enjoy having scones with tea. So, I would probably bake a blueberry scone with a little bit lemon icing. I would probably call it “Arandanos” which means blueberries in Spanish.
