On February 9, 2026, the Regent University Rescue Initiative club and its President Emma Blair invited Angelo Reyes, Tanya Gould, and Lauren Diggs to offer insight into the realities of human trafficking in Virginia. Angelo Reyes is the director of Groomed, a short film about human trafficking from the perspective of the survivor. He mentioned that most blockbuster movies about trafficking, such as Taken, highlight the heroism of the rescuer rather than the process of the individual getting trafficked. Contrary to this tradition, Reyes captured the perspective of the victim and her handler, ultimately demonstrating the survivor’s escape. The survivor in the film was modeled from the life of Tanya Gould, now an anti-human trafficking activist working at the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia. Blair and the Rescue Initiative team also partnered with Freekind, represented by Regent University alumna Lauren Diggs and her team. Freekind helps prevent human trafficking and supports survivors in southern Virginia. At the end of the screening, Diggs, Reyes, Gould, and Lisa Kersey, the director of Freekind, answered student questions and discussed the film. Reyes addressed the writing and filming process, explaining that his intention was to show people the signs of human trafficking so that more individuals can notice and help prevent it. When traffickers look for victims, they prey on vulnerabilities; Gould’s character, for example, was a teenage girl who had been sexually abused in the past and had a difficult relationship with her mother. Gould also mentioned that trafficking begins with stalking to some degree, whether online or in public; traffickers pick out those who seem to lack confidence or are vulnerable in some other way. In the film, the victim met her trafficker, a man 15 years older, online and was texting him, which eventually escalated to explicit messages before they met in person. The film showed the progression of trafficking and how traffickers manipulate their victims into staying and working to earn money for them. As Gould, Diggs, Kersey, and Reyes testified, their goal is to help victims become survivors and change policy to offer justice to survivors rather than punishment. Many survivors are incarcerated for crimes they committed under their handler’s watch rather than punishment being given to the handlers or customers themselves. Through policy reformation, survivors are aided and awareness is spread to civil leaders and the public about the truth of being victimized. The United States is the largest human trafficking exporter in the world, and people with the power to do something tend to look the other way. The speakers stressed the importance of noticing and checking on friends, possessing awareness of the signs of human trafficking, and showing compassion rather than judgment, helping victims resist the tendency to blame themselves. This screening, while emotional and difficult to watch, left a lasting impact on the audience, opening their eyes to the importance of anti-human rafficking awareness and the role they play in its prevention. Signs to notice include withdrawn attitudes, new significant others who pull friends away from their support system, and significant others who are 10 to 15 years older. Social media safety is another aspect the guests stressed, calling social media a gateway to trafficking. This requires measures such as exercising care in trusting individuals, awareness of trafficking material, and protecting children’s media, gaming, and communication apps. At the end of the film, Gould’s character is recognized as a trafficking victim by a police officer at a gas station, and the officer helps her escape, but only because she could successfully identify the signs. If the industries in our country are not going to take steps to solve this crisis, then we must do something as a people, and this begins by knowing signs to look for and not being afraid to talk about difficult things, as the Rescue Initiative Team and Freekind bravely urged Regent students. Please consider joining or supporting the Rescue Initiative club and Freekind’s work to raise awareness and protect innocent lives.