Larry Trujillo walks into the Puente office, and it’s like the sun has come out. “Hola, Puenteritos!” he calls over to a huddle of Puente youth. “Larry!” They pop their heads up and grin with enthusiasm. It’s hard to discern the bigger surprise: that a retired professor could excite such a happy response from teenagers, or that Trujillo is a retired professor. Clad in skate shoes, jeans, and a loose Hawaiian button-down, he looks more like his alter ego, DJ Larry. “I’m basically the town DJ. More kids know me by that than any other name. They’re surprised when I’m referred to as Dr. Larry Trujillo,” he says with a smile. Trujillo has indeed DJ’ed just about every event in town, from quinceañeras and bar mitzvahs to the opening day of the Pescadero Farmer’s Market. His easy, charismatic manner – more a friend than an authority figure – is part of his charm and a key to his success with his target demographic: students. Trujillo moved to Pescadero in the 1980s and along with his lifelong partner Dr. Velia Garcia, a fellow educator and former Puente board member who passed away in 2012, have focused a great deal of their efforts in the community to transforming the lives of struggling students in the local schools. Today, Trujillo is a board … Continue reading Why I give to Puente: Larry Trujillo