By Elijah Penn, Copyeditor
“I’m convinced that we will not end human trafficking in my lifetime. I wish we would. I fought hard in my career to end as much as I could … even in my own county, and I couldn’t stop it in my own county,” said Alan Wilkett, founder of Warrior 321 and retired Corporal of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. As his somber prediction settled in, he then shared the hope that has continued to drive his herculean effort with his anti-human trafficking organization.
“My hope tonight is that those men and women who are sitting at these tables,” he pointed at individuals sitting around the room, “you, you, and you, end this. My hope is there’s a generation coming up—and you are that generation—that can end human trafficking,” Wilkett said.
Wilkett argued that it is only through continued effort by more and more individuals who bring awareness to human trafficking and push for its end that it can be stopped. It takes a generation of people no longer willing to turn a blind eye.
On Dec. 2, Roderick Resident Assistant (RA) Caitlyn McGregor partnered with Warrior 321 to bring to campus a fun event with a much deeper meaning. The event, “Pizza, Prizes, and Prevention: Human Trafficking Awareness Night,” was held in the Student Community Center (SCC) Boardrooms.
After McGregor introduced Warrior 321 and explained how the event would run, Wilkett gave a short but impassioned speech about the horrors of human trafficking and how being aware of what it looks like in our community is essential to ending it.
Wilkett cited the International Labor Organization, which estimates that there are currently 49.6 million victims in the United States trapped in human trafficking. According to Nasdaq, human trafficking generates $336 billion, which is more than most major companies combined.
He recounted a story about an eight-year-old survivor of human trafficking that he met. She had been trafficked by her uncles and sold as a “birthday date.”
“My point to you is this: we could talk about 49.6 million, we could talk about 336 billion, we could talk about how big it is, and all this stuff until we glaze over, right? Until we understand that when human trafficking happens, it affects the real lives of real people who are really hurting. Little boys and girls who dreamed of being firefighters and police officers … yet those dreams get dashed because somebody else believes that they got a right to own them … That’s wrong… it’s wrong… it’s wrong… it’s wrong… it’s evil!” Wilkett stressed.
Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to arrest every trafficker or rescue every victim. The key to stopping human trafficking rests with the public. It must be reestablished that using other people is inexcusable.
“The only way we’re going to end it is to end the demand. People have to quit buying other people … we have to go after the demand, because the demand is what drives the money into the market, and if nobody’s willing to buy somebody, then nobody goes for sale,” Wilkett said.
Following Wilkett’s powerful speech, Warrior 321 volunteer and 2025 Saint Leo University graduate Alyssa Johler, along with RA Caitlyn McGregor, ran a Kahoot game. The questions were centered around human trafficking. Students raced to answer questions ranging from pop culture, such as the Sean Combs (P Diddy) trial, to anti-human trafficking laws in Florida.
Pizza was provided for those who attended the event, and candy was handed out to those who made it onto the leaderboard after each question.
First place received a Warrior 321 t-shirt and other swag, along with a $25 Visa gift card. Second and third place also received prize bundles, and smaller prizes were given out for answering bonus questions following the Kahoot game.
Criminal Justice senior Mitchell Benn was able to secure first place, with Criminal Justice junior Kyle Jackson taking second, and Business Administration sophomore Jamie McShane winning third place.
After some of the more difficult questions, a team member from Warrior 321 would explain the answer and provide deeper insight into the topic’s complexity.
At the end, students were encouraged to connect with Warrior 321 and ask how they could get involved in the fight against human trafficking. The organization is currently working to promote stricter anti-human trafficking laws in the upcoming Florida legislative sessions.
McGregor has recently been volunteering with Warrior 321 to help with research and social media outreach. She realized that she could use her RA position to further the key message of the organization.
McGregor has always wanted to pursue a career in the criminal justice field, although she didn’t know what specifically she wanted to do. During her time at Saint Leo, she spoke to her professors and conducted her own research, determining that she wanted to help prevent things that shouldn’t happen.
“A lot of people wouldn’t want to do this job, especially because I want to work with child trafficking specifically, but knowing it’s not a popular job made me want to do it more because if I don’t, then who will?” McGregor said.
McGregor noted that this event was more educational than most she has hosted in the past, but its success has inspired her to host more educational-based events in the future.
“I was so glad to be able to host this because human trafficking awareness is so important,especially in colleges,” said McGregor.
While the event was advertised widely to attract as many participants as possible, it wasn’t just about the numbers.
“I had such a good time at this event, and I think it was a success. Even if we only had two people, it would’ve been a success because spreading this message to fight human trafficking and spreading information on how to do that is so important,” McGregor stated.
While human trafficking is not an easy topic, it is one that needs to be talked about. Until more people truly understand what human trafficking is, like in the digital age, and are willing to use their voice to stand up for what is undeniably right, it cannot be stopped. This event refused to shy away from these hard conversations and educate students in an engaging way.
