Speaking Out: An Alum’s Insights into Guatemalan Gang Violence

When Rodrigo Trujillo ’25 was growing up in southwest Houston, college didn’t feel like an option—it felt out of reach. In a community shaped by limited resources and the realities of gang violence, survival often came before learning.

Everything changed with one unexpected decision.

In middle school, Trujillo enrolled in a speech and debate class—not by choice, but because the theater class they wanted was full. What started as a backup plan quickly became a defining passion. They discovered not only a natural talent for public speaking, but a sense of purpose they hadn’t experienced before.

That passion carried him far. As a high school senior, Trujillo won the National Speech and Debate Association national championship in World Schools Debate and earned a spot on Team USA, representing the country in international competitions. With encouragement from their coach, Trujillo connected with Andrew Eilola, director of Bradley University’s nationally recognized speech team.

“Bradley had one of the most prolific speech teams in the country, so after speaking with Andrew, I knew this was the place for me,” Trujillo said. “It would not have been possible to come here without the generous grants, scholarships, and support from the university and the speech team.”

At Bradley, Trujillo majored in Political Science and immersed themself in the speech team, eventually serving as president senior year. The experience proved transformative. “My time on the team was life-changing,” they said. “It gave me an arena to exercise my talents and pushed me to learn about the world, politics, and advocacy in a deeper way.”

Now a recent graduate, Trujillo has earned a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program Award—one of the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange programs that supports students in conducting research, studying, and teaching abroad. Fulbright recipients are selected for their academic merit and potential to foster cross-cultural understanding, and the award provides funding and resources to carry out projects around the world.

Trujillo’s project, Public Perceptions of Bukele-Style Anti-Gang Policies in Guatemala, examines how Guatemalan citizens view the controversial “mano dura” approach used in neighboring El Salvador—a policy that has reduced crime but raised serious concerns about due process and civil liberties.

“For decades, Central America has struggled with violent gangs that undermine justice and threaten communities,” Trujillo explained. “In response, El Salvador implemented aggressive policies that prioritized security, even at the expense of constitutional rights. While many Americans see those actions as extreme, citizens there often view them as necessary.”

Trujillo’s research seeks to answer a complex question: Would Guatemalans be willing to make similar tradeoffs in exchange for safety?

By conducting interviews, surveys, and data analysis, Trujillo hopes to better understand how communities weigh security against individual rights—and how those perspectives might shape future policy decisions.

For them, the work is deeply personal. Trujillo’s family fled Guatemala in 1990 to escape the very violence they’re now studying. In January, Trujillo will return to Guatemala City to collaborate with faculty at the Universidad Rafael Landívar, bringing their journey full circle.

“I hope to produce findings that help guide leaders and give people hope that change is possible,” they said. “In many ways, this project is a homecoming—a tribute to the place my family once had to leave.”

Since graduating last year, Trujillo has remained connected to Bradley’s speech team, mentoring students and traveling with the team to national and international competitions—including a first-place finish in Athens, Greece, at the International Speech and Debate Tournament, as well as a top three team finish in Nashville at the National Forensics Association Tournament.  

When Trujillo returns from Guatemala in 2027, they plan to pursue a master’s degree and eventually work at a political think tank, applying their research to help address conflict and policy challenges around the world.

But that path didn’t begin with a clear plan—it began with an unexpected opportunity and the support to pursue it. “If there was one thing that changed the trajectory of my life, it was the critical thinking skills, discipline, and sense of purpose I developed through speech,” Trujillo said.

At Bradley, Trujillo found more than a nationally recognized program—they found their voice. And now, Trujillo’s using it to help shape a more informed, more just future.

—Emily Potts