Maria de los Angeles “Angie” Bustillos 

CHCI Housing Postgraduate Fellow

Presented by Wells Fargo 

Hometown: Firestone, Colorado 

School: University of Denver 

Degree: Master of Global Economic Affairs 

Placement: House Committee on Financial Services   

Angie Bustillos (she/her/ella) comes from individuals who exemplify service and dedication. Although Angie was born in the U.S., she spent her formative years in Mexico, where she spent a lot of time with her grandmothers who were community leaders, business owners, and educators. Despite her young age, Angie’s mother illustrated resilience and perseverance by pursuing her education despite being a single teen mom. Angie returned to the U.S. with a new family who also shared the values she had grown up with and gained insight into the importance of community involvement through her father. In the Front Range area of Colorado, Angie fostered connections within her community and with others around the world. Having grown up with a transnational experience, she developed a deep passion for global engagement.  

Angie attended the University of Denver, earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a concentration in Global Economics with Magna Cum Laude distinction with minors in Leadership, Chinese (Mandarin), and Geography. During her undergraduate career, she engaged in research analyzing the complex interactions of trade, COVID-19, and protectionism within U.S.-Mexico supply chains. She also worked with a nonprofit on asylum services and litigation mediation, and led initiatives aimed at fostering financial literacy among high schoolers in the Front Range community. Angie then pursued a Master of Arts in Global Economic Affairs at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies. She undertook various leadership roles as a student government and program representative, and diverse professional roles, including internships with the Department of Commerce, the City of Englewood, Denver Mayor’s residence at Cableland, and Financial Institutions Corporations. Her work provided her with valuable insights into governmental and corporate processes, as well as international trade dynamics, with a focus on real estate and housing policy.  

As a CHCI Housing Postgraduate Fellow, Angie endeavors to leverage her background to delve into policy and career opportunities in Washington. With a specialized focus on housing policy solutions, she aims to contribute her expertise and passion to help others achieve the human right to housing in the physical sense, but also psychologically via community-enhancing initiatives.