By Kristi Matal
Rene Trujillo is a man always on the go, whether driving a golf cart around campus or running down the soccer field with his after-school team. He is tirelessly dedicated to helping young people excel.
Trujillo, father of several NUSD students, is a Campus Safety Specialist at Natomas High School and Natomas Gateways Middle School. He also mentors young athletes in soccer. He won his division’s 2016 Classified Employee of the Year award because of his outstanding commitment to keeping kids safe and his devotion to sports and helping at-risk kids be successful.
“My focus is getting students to class on time and keeping the kids safe,” Trujillo said. I’m here for the kids! I don’t care if I don’t make a million dollars, I just love working with the kids.”
All day he’s on the go. A teacher may call him about a misbehaving student. The administrative office may call him to escort a student off campus to meet a parent or guardian. His job duties range from breaking up a student altercation to approaching a child tardy to school.
Mentoring kids is Trujillo’s passion.
Three years ago, at Natomas Gateways Middle School, he started an after-school co-ed soccer team. He is the head coach of this volunteer program, sponsored by local businesses. Throughout the season, March to May, the team competes against other middle schools.
“It keeps you fit and teaches you responsibility and sportsmanship,” Trujillo said of soccer.
“I teach (my soccer players) to be respectful, to be responsible, and to have fun,” he said. “I let them know they are representing me.”
He talks with pride of three kids in 7th and 8th grades who became so good in soccer that they made the varsity team as high school freshmen.
Asked why he wanted to mentor young athletes, particularly at-risk students, Trujillo explained that he was raised by a single mother and quit playing soccer as a youth when he was influenced by gang activity and made some bad choices.
A Jefferson School yard duty supervisor, Otto, became a role model to Trujillo and encouraged him to excel in school, even after he moved on to middle school.
“That’s why I’m here,” Trujillo said. “Someone gave me a chance. I want to be able to help kids to turn away from drugs and get an education. I’m their uncle, role model, mentor.”
