A family business, a janitor position, raising her grandchildren, two degrees in thanatology and public speaking, and a book in the works. Apart from that, she also dances Zumba daily.
Is there anything that Ana López can’t do?
I asked myself this question after spending a day with her to learn how she balances different parts of her life, and what’s behind her Aramark uniform that most USC Annenberg students don’t see.
Born in the city of Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, Ana Silvia López was raised in Tlaquepaque, a magical Mexican town known for its ceramics, art galleries and crafts.
In 1987, López emigrated to the United States, along with her ex-husband, while she was pregnant with her first daughter. The couple then settled in San Antonio, Texas, where López began working various jobs.
First at the Family Dollar and then as a waitress at different Mexican restaurants. Later, López and her family moved to California where she worked at the Holiday Inn hotel and she suffered a serious accident which forced her to undergo physical rehabilitation for the next eight years. This physical rehabilitation led her to a vocational program and encouraged her to study decorative arts and become an entrepreneur, starting a party products business, which she runs today with her family.
In 2014, López began his job as a custodian at USC through the company Aramark. She explained that being surrounded by students on a daily basis inspired her to complete a diploma in public speaking, and a second diploma in thanatology – the study of loss, as well as the social and psychological factors that come with grief.
After she completes her second degree, López plans to take a webinar to begin writing a book about her life, experiences, and the loss of her daughter. She clarified that, although they may seem very different, public speaking and thanatology go hand in hand as the first discipline helps one navigate how to communicate directly and concretely with those who have suffered a loss, and then guide and advise them with the second.
One of López’s main driving forces is his love for his grandchildren, two young children who are in his care.
“My purpose in life is to see things positively since I have to set an example for my two grandchildren who see what I do,” said López with tears in his eyes. “In the future, I want my grandchildren to be able to ask themselves ‘what did my grandmother leave me?’ and see incredible work which will push them to continue with their studies and say ‘yes’ to life.”
To balance the many facets of her life, López considered communication, organization and the support of her husband and the entire family to be essential.
About empathy
López thinks that empathy is a life tool that we should all have to help others and so that we ourselves can get ahead.
María Batres is another janitor at USC and one of López’s best friends, with whom she eats daily on the steps of the campus bookstore.
“Ana is an excellent colleague, friend and person in general. Even though she is from Mexico and I am from El Salvador, we get along very well,” Batres said warmly. “I love Ana and all of her family very much.”
Both women share their food with each other, chat and take a breather during their 30-minute break before returning to work.
Tom Norris, Media Supervisor at USC Annenberg Media Center, similarly shared his admiration for Lopez.
“Every time I see Ana she always has a big smile on her face. She helps me practice my Spanish and I help her practice her English. I try to take the time to greet her and she always has time for me; I suggest others do the same,” Norris said.
“She is a very kind and hard-working woman. She has worked here for a while and everyone here [en USC Annenberg] We love her so much”.
Lopez’s empathy impacts everyone around her, Norris adds.
“When I drive by a cemetery, the only thing I think is, ‘I hope these people died whole, after fulfilling their dreams.’”
After asking him what life advice he would give to others, López explained that he feels it is essential to surround yourself with good people and live life to the fullest, since once we leave this earth, we will only take with us our experiences and who We are like human beings.
Since I arrived at USC Annenberg as a student from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in 2021, and met López, she has always been extremely warm to me and my family.
When I miss Spanish and Mexican warmth, talking to López always gives me love, inspiration and motivation to continue with my studies and always give my best.
“I would say the best thing you can do is live with an open mind, an open heart and have faith,” Lopez said, offering his top life advice for others.
A day in the life of López
This article was written by Natalia Osuna, a USC journalism student, in collaboration withTell me
a brand of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism.