Ron Trujillo
Born and raised in New Mexico, Ron Trujillo has served on the Santa Fe City Council for 12 years, been a part of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board and chairman for the Community Development Commission Committee. Trujillo was a prime sponsor in kickstarting the Children’s Fishing Derby for Santa Fe Youth that has been in operation since 2007, and he has coached for Santa Fe High School, Ortiz Middle School and other local youth leagues.
Question: What sort of activities were you involved in as a teenager, and what sort of trouble did you get into?
Answer: I was involved with a lot of sports. I played football, I played baseball, and I used to do a lot of bowling. … I’ve always loved the outdoors and have a passion for fishing, which I got from my Grandpa Joe, and I also enjoyed working on the family farm. … I used to ride my bike around Santa Fe, and my curfew was when the street lights came on. My dad would say to me, “When you see the lights come on, get home.” As teenagers … we used to cruise Alameda Street between Sandoval Street and Paseo de Peralta. The police would always show up and block the cruising for 30 minutes; then they’d leave, and the cruising would start up again. We also hung around the Plaza, and they used to call us … the Plaza Rats.
Question: What are the issues impacting teens in Santa Fe today that you feel the city should address?
Answer: As a father of teenagers — my son is 19, my daughter is 16 — I hear a lot from them. The issues I’ve seen and that we’ve all heard about are drugs, bullying, cyberbullying — and I’ve known many teens who have committed suicide. Another thing is jobs for teens, and lack of things for teenagers to do here in Santa Fe.
Question: What does Santa Fe’s public education system lack, and what can the city do to help?
Answer: Vocational training. When I was at Santa Fe High, you had Santa Fe High School, and on the other side of the Arroyo Chamiso, you had [the former] Vo Tech. A lot of my friends attended Vo Tech because they had welding, automotive … vocational training. Back then, a lot of my friends weren’t going to go to college, and they wanted to learn something they wanted a career in. We have to work with all the education in Santa Fe — Santa Fe Public Schools, the community college and the Higher Education Center. Together, we collaborate to learn what roles the schools, city and other entities play in bringing what I believe is important — vocational training.
Question: What reponsibility does the mayor have to the city’s youth, even those who are not old enough to vote?
Answer: It’s a huge responsibility — the mayor is the leader of the city, including those who are not yet of voting age. … The youth … are our future businessmen, our future entrepreneurs, our future political leaders. … We have to show them that they are important to the community. As mayor, I want to continue having dialogue with our teens in this community, and have them talk with the mayor, have them talk with city councilors and have them talk to the rest of the community — “This is what is lacking in Santa Fe, this is what we want.” The city shouldn’t dictate, “Well, this is what we think you need here in Santa Fe.” No, we need to listen to the kids and to the teens — they are the ones who are living in Santa Fe; they know what’s lacking, what’s working and what’s not working.
Question: Many teens in Santa Fe say there isn’t enough for them to do here. Do you agree, and if so, what can be done about it?
Answer: This has been one of my biggest concerns: How do we get businesses that cater to teens and children to open up? We have to realize there’s a segment of people in the city who don’t have a lot to do, and that’s the kids. I started the Fishing Derby on the Santa Fe River so kids could have a chance to fish. … It’s been proven that we can bring family-based entertainment here. … I believe we can get there, but it would take that dialogue with the people to know what it would take to make that happen.
Ramona Park is senior at Santa Fe High School. Contact her at yoharamona@gmail.com.