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Have you ever been so impacted by something that you decide to study it? That’s exactly what UNLV master of education student Henry Castillo did.

Having been both a product of the Clark County School District and an educator in the district, Castillo has experienced and witnessed the prevalence of bullying.

“I was bullied a lot because of being gay. I didn’t really know what to do or how to overcome it until I took a public speaking class as a freshman at Advanced Technologies Academy (A-TECH),” said Castillo.

Knowing what a positive effect public speaking has on his own confidence, Castillo tries to empower his students at Southwest Career and Technical Academy in a similar way.

“I wanted to focus on how we could use public speaking as a means to help combat bullying,” said Castillo. “I got into this field by focusing on what has affected me most. How could I combat something that not only I went through but that others go through?” 

Castillo won second place at this year’s Rebel Grad Slam, an annual event hosted by the Graduate College that challenges graduate students to present their research using only three minutes and one slide.

Castillo hopes his research results in officially sponsored school programs to combat the effects of bullying.

“Bullying matters. Words matter. When considering my research, it is extremely important, especially in today’s political climate, for individuals to have the tools necessary to speak up and speak out,” he said.