Meet Bushra Aamer!

Bushra has been working at Colonial for over 3 years as our Account Supervisor. She handles a lot of the club's finances, such as ensuring that membership contracts are properly processed.

Prior to her life in the US, Bushra lived in Pakistan, where she worked at a commercial bank. Fifteen years ago, she immigrated to the states with her husband when he took a job as a Computer Engineer. Although they had no other family in the US, they met Pakistanis and others of similar cultural backgrounds in the area. Bushra says that this tight-knit community allows her to keep in touch with the values and traditions of her home. Another shift in Bushra's life was her daily routine - "In Pakistan, it's very affordable to hire people to do all the housework. At my house we had a chef who lived with us. In the US you have to do everything yourself." Despite these changes in her lifestyle, Bushra has really enjoyed life in the US - "There's always something to do, and there are so many different opportunities that you just can't find elsewhere." During her free time, Bushra likes reading and gardening. She also watches a lot of shows and movies in Urdu (her mother tongue) but will occasionally watch American shows that her husband is following such as Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead.

For the first ten years of her life in the states, Bushra was unable to get a work Visa, and so had to stay at home. Five years ago, she began working at Corelab, a Pharmaceutical Company. The job was very structured, and she didn't interact with her co-workers very often. "We each kept to ourselves, at our own workstations. I was okay with this as I'm a pretty reserved person." When she first started working at Colonial, she was surprised by the social nature of the job. "I was anxious about having to interact with so many students and staff members. I'm most comfortable when you give me a task that I can do by myself." Come time for her first Reunions, Bushra was in for quite the shock - she was in charge of checking in the 400+ Colonial alumni and their families. Seeing all these unfamiliar, energetic faces was intimidating, but Bushra believes that experiences like this at Colonial have helped her become a less reserved person. "I really think Colonial has taught me to more actively socialize and to not be afraid of meeting new people. Whereas before I was nervous, now I look forward to Reunions and Formals!" The friendly work environment isn't the only difference that Bushra has felt in working at Colonial - "It's such a dynamic job. Sometimes you don't have a lot of work and things are pretty relaxed, but a few days later you're rushing to make sure all the preparations are done for some event. It can be stressful but I love it." But what is Bushra's favourite part of Colonial? "The kids. I look forward to seeing all your faces everyday. The Summer is the worst because you guys are all gone!"

In addition to handling the club finances, Bushra often works the meal check desk. If you see her, don't be shy - say hi! "I can tell when the students are busy or stressed, but I really appreciate when they spend even a few minutes to chat with me."