Alan Llavore | Office of Strategic Communication | 909-537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
CSUSB alumnus Sam Buenrostro, M.A. ’95, educational administration, was honored by the University of La Verne’s LaFetra College of Education as one of three inaugural Distinguished Education Doctoral Alumni. The recognition celebrates Buenrostro’s extraordinary achievements, outstanding character and exemplary service to the university and community. Buenrostro earned a doctorate in education from LaFetra in 2012 and was recognized in April during a community event held by the college.
“It was great to connect with folks that I've known there at the university. It's an honor,” he said. “I feel blessed, grateful, honored, thankful, all those things.”
Buenrostro has served as the superintendent of the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) since 2020. He has held numerous leadership positions within CNUSD during the past 25 years, including deputy superintendent in human resources and instructional support, as well as a 12-year tenure as assistant principal and principal of Centennial High School.
Buenrostro’s decision to attend CSUSB was driven by a desire to advance his educational career. Born in Mexicali, Mexico, he immigrated to the U.S. as a child; his father was an agricultural worker with the government-sponsored Bracero program. After earning a bachelor’s degree, Buenrostro began his career in education as a support staff member at a continuation high school.
“I was looking for a master's degree program in 1992. I grew up in Santa Ana and I moved to the Inland Empire, got married in 1990, but was still commuting into Orange County,” he said. “When I started working for Riverside Unified, I knew I wanted to get a master’s degree. I was so impressed by administrators, how skillful they were and how talented they were. And the administration and leadership component of education intrigued me. I asked around and a lot of folks told me about Cal State San Bernardino. I visited the university and saw where it sits right under the foothills there – it's beautiful.”
As a master of arts in educational leadership student at CSUSB, Buenrostro said he found inspiration in the practical and pragmatic approach of the professors.
“What really impressed me about CSU San Bernardino is that the professors had all been practitioners,” he said. “They knew not just theory, they had been practitioners. And they shared their ‘war stories.’ In every single class I took, they wanted students to talk to one another and share what they were experiencing. They made the learning both practical and fun.”
Buenrostro said his career has been deeply influenced by the mentorship he received from experienced administrators and colleagues. He particularly credits Dale Kinnear, a former principal in Riverside Unified, now a member of the district’s board of trustees, for instilling in him the values of authenticity and awareness. “He became a mentor and that helped me a lot to build confidence. And what I saw in him was a sense of awareness of the campus and also a great sense of authenticity, which is so critical for leaders.”
Throughout his 39-year career, Buenrostro has faced a fair share of challenges, including the tragic death of a student early in his tenure as principal of Centennial High School. In 2005, 15-year-old sophomore Dominic Redd, who was Black, was fatally stabbed in a racially motivated attack that shook the entire community and profoundly affected Buenrostro.
“Up until that point, I thought I was pretty good at what I did. But issues of race and bigotry are tough issues for leaders to deal with,” he said.
The tragedy became a turning point for Buenrostro, reinforcing his commitment to leadership, advocacy and inclusion for students. “I asked myself two critical questions, based on the maxim: ‘If not you, then who? If not now, then when?’ I knew as a leader I needed to embrace and address those issues. That changed my career.”
Buenrostro's leadership was instrumental in transforming Centennial High School into a distinguished institution, earning accolades, such as CIF championships, Riverside County Model of Excellence awards and a California Golden Bell Award. His dedication to community service extends beyond the school district, as he actively participates in various community boards and associations, including the University of La Verne Alumni Association, Corona Chamber of Commerce and Rotary International.
In recognition of his efforts, Buenrostro was named the 2023 California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) Superintendent of the Year, an acknowledgment of his commitment to fostering educational excellence and mentoring future leaders.
He emphasizes the importance of collaboration and community in achieving sustainable success. “I believe in community, and I believe in collaboration and partnership. To me, you could use different words. It's still ultimately the same, because anything that's worth doing in life should involve people and be sustainable … It's community that ultimately gets you there.”
Buenrostro said his advice to educational leaders, “whether a classroom teacher, a site administrator, district level administrator or a leader in any organization, is to surround yourself with people who are going to tell you the truth. Seek the truth,” he said. “Seek the truth means we just need to bite our lips and just listen. Listen to folks, and you become more self-aware, you become an authentic leader. I think that’s the empowerment of teamwork – the power of listening to folks is super important.”