Roman Trujillo | In-State Trustee

Class of 1995, Bachelor of Arts, Sociology

Why I Serve

I am a lifelong Husky. Growing up, my dad and I visited campus and explored the University Bookstore. The students looked so big and I was amazed by the energy. I wore a Husky jersey for my kindergarten picture and wondered if I ever would be old enough to be a UW student. It was instilled in me that UW was the best university in the state if not the entire world.

People typically know two things about me. I’m a police officer and a diehard Husky. I never considered law enforcement as a career until my junior year at UW. I befriended a slightly older classmate, but knew very little about his personal life. One day, driving around Seattle, I happened to see him in uniform. He was a cop. I was intrigued and asked him endless questions and eventually did a ride-along. It changed the trajectory of my life.

When you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, they usually say something familiar, perhaps a parent’s career. Attending UW opens students’ eyes to fields they’ve never considered or didn’t know existed. As a trustee, I want to share my experience that higher education leads to many different paths. I love meeting future Huskies and made sure my daughter wore a Husky shirt for her kindergarten photo!

Biography

Roman Trujilo grew up in Richland, Washington, where he still resides. His father and older brother are UW undergraduate and UW Law School alumni. Since 1997, he has served with the Kennewick Police Department as a police officer, detective, and currently as a community relations officer.