Mrs. Irene Bustamante
5th Grade Teacher

Raised outside of Houston, in the small town of Pearland, Irene Bustamante always knew she would become a teacher. Bustamante pursued her dream by attending St. Mary's University in San Antonio. After graduation, she received her Bilingual Certification from Texas Wesleyan University and officially began her teaching career at a Science and Math magnet school in Houston. After marrying her husband, a Federal Courts pre-trial officer (and part-time realtor), the couple moved to the DFW area, where Mrs. Bustamante taught in the Grand Prairie ISD and there received her 5-year service pin. She was awarded a scholarship to attend a Masters Program at Texas Women's University for the express purpose of developing skills necessary to become a school principal. However, before she could complete the program, the Bustamante family was expanded by the birth of two children. Choosing to stay at home for the children's first several years, Bustamante taught English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for the Fort Worth ISD in the evenings and for Hilton Hotels on the weekends. Upon re-entering the instructional workforce, Bustamante spent two years as a 2nd grade teacher for Arlington Country Day School before joining Holy Rosary in August 2002.