Bookstore Manager Bianca HuertaTell us about your background and how you came to work at Lewis & Clark.
I graduated in 2020 with a double major in psychology and religious studies. Rather than jumping right back into grad school for social work, I decided to grow my business experience as a bookstore manager in Colorado, up until this past September. I have been living in Portland for a few months now and have been loving it!
What are you most looking forward to in your new role?
My new role is more hands-on with the course material process, and it’s been exciting to learn this new skill set. I am also looking forward to getting to know the Lewis & Clark community as well as my staff at the store.
What sort of techniques do you use to ensure the success of the bookstore?
In my experience, relationship building is crucial to success in any business, but especially when it comes to the bookstore on a campus. By getting to know faculty, I hope to be readily and easily available to help the book adoption process go smoothly. In turn, this will help us be better prepared to help students have the most efficient access to course materials.
How do you hope to help shape the bookstore over the coming years?
We are hoping to streamline the process of getting books in students’ hands. While this is still in the works, we are hopeful that it will make getting course materials significantly easier.
What are you currently reading?
I am currently on a celebrity memoir kick. I just finished reading Britney Spears’The Woman in Meand am hoping to finish Matthew Perry’sFriends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing. The latter has been a slow read, but really special in light of his recent passing.
What do you do in your spare time?
Most of my spare time lately has been relaxing at home with my best friend and our dogs, Phoebe, an Australian Labradoodle, and Suki, a black lab mix. I love being creative and upcycling thrifted items, and I am currently working on a painting on the weekends.
The Lewis & Clark Bookstore is located in Fowler Student Center on the Undergraduate Campus.
