Card Essentials: Mia Bhuta

Welcome to the latest installment of Card Essentials, where Stanford student-athletes share the stories behind the items they carry every day, big or small. We caught up with Mia Bhuta, Stanford women's soccer's sophomore midfielder, who was an All-Pac-12 third team and All-Pac-12 freshman team selection in 2023. She also became the first Indian-American to represent the United States at a World Cup at any level in the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India. Mia took some time to show us what she has with her every day and what each item means to her.

GoStanford.com: Out of everything, what here can't you live without?
Mia Bhuta: "The most important item is probably my phone. I don't think I could live without it. I'm from the East Coast so communicating with my family and anyone back home is important, and I use this for everything. I feel like it's an everyday essential for everyone."

GS: Tell us about the turmeric! How has it become an essential part of your routine?
MB: "Turmeric has been one of my essentials for a while now. I'm half Indian, my dad was born and raised in India, and in India, turmeric is kind of like a miracle supplement. In India, it's treated as a cure for a lot of things so I take this every single day."

GS: Love the pink cleats! Why did you choose pink?
MB: "I started wearing these pink cleats at the end of last year and I've worn them all season this year. I've never really worn pink cleats so far throughout college but you know Jasmine Aikey, she's always in her pink cleats and I want to add a little Jasmine Aikey flare to my game so that's kind of where the pink came in. One of my favorite memories this season in these cleats was beating UNC at home, that was a super fun game."

GS: We noticed the ring! Why is it so special to you?
MB: "I wear this ring every day and only take it off for soccer. There’s another half to the ring that aligns perfectly with the half I wear. It was my mom’s ring that my dad got for her. This year before I left for college she gave me one half of it and she still wears the other half."

GS: What's the story behind the salt?
MB: "I have the salt with me at all times every day. I think pink salt is better than any other salt. I use it with every meal, and my teammates always come to find me at breakfast, looking for the salt. Other people in the dining hall if you need salt, you know where it's at! I get stopped by TSA for it every single time I travel, but it's worth it."

GS: Very curious about the grapes, talk to us about those!
MB: "I can't go a week, maybe not even a day without eating grapes. Everyone who knows me knows that is the one thing I need. I will eat them anytime, any day, anywhere. If you have them and don't want anyone to eat them, do not show them to me or they will be gone. I can't live without grapes."

GS: Wired headphones are a classic choice! What makes them your go-to?
MB: "I had AirPods, but I also have a problem with losing things. So I lost those, then got some wired headphones and lost my first pair. Now with our travel schedule, it's honestly great because I just stock up on wired headphones every time we travel, and now I have an infinite stash!"

GS: What makes your water bottle so essential in your daily routine?
MB: "If I don't have a water bottle I just forgot to drink water and as an athlete, and just to live, I feel like that's pretty essential. I've lost this a bunch of times so I'm probably on like my sixth water bottle. Hopefully, I don't get to seven!"