After being approached by a man who promised her a successful modeling career, Rachel Thomas was forced to drop out of Emory University, and began 10 months of forced exotic dancing and prostitution.

“After five months of this life, I dropped out of school… I experienced months of every kind of abuse,” Thomas said. “I thought I was a nothing as a person, but valuable as a product.”

Informing students and community members alike, College of the Canyons held a conference on Friday, Sept. 30, to help all in attendance understand the personal side effects and the journey of a human trafficking victim.

Rachel Thomas, keynote speaker at COC’s Human Trafficking conference, shared her traumatic journey as a way to educate students regarding the dangers facing vulnerable men and women across the country, including communities in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Thomas is the director of Sowers Education Group, an organization focused on preventing human trafficking and helping young men and women navigate through an image and media-driven culture. She shared her own personal experience with human trafficking, as well as how to treat and help victims.

“I’m here to turn my mess into a message, and my test into a testimony,” said Thomas. “I had a wonderful life interrupted by 10 months of hell.”

Students were in mass attendance as both a personal learning opportunity, but also for a chance to find out much more about this epidemic.

“When I heard about this event, I thought it would be interesting to attend while also getting some extra credit,” said COC student Mati Rodriguez. “Walking away from it now, I think I’m a lot more aware about just how many people are affected by this and how easy it is to become a victim.”

Thomas made it known to students and guests in attendance of the human trafficking conference just how easy it is for ordinary students or regular men and women to become coerced into that life, but also how easy it can be to get help.

“The easiest targets are always the ones who don’t know they’re targets,” Thomas said. “Resources on this campus and in law enforcement are always available to people who need help dealing with their own experiences or a loved ones.”