Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: Metropolitan State University of Denver

Title of entry: All Roads Lead Home

About this entry: Alumni profiles are full of inspiring stories of people overcoming difficult circumstances like depression, addiction and poverty; rarely do they touch upon the taboo subject of incarceration, making those stories even more important to share.

Growing up in an unstable environment, Duane Gurulé found refuge at his high school, accessing free programs and meals to help him survive. His dedication to education was rewarded with a college scholarship that would allow him to escape his hometown of Rocky Ford, Colorado; however, it went unused when Gurulé received a nine-year sentence for a violent crime. Motivated to get back on track, he prepared to pursue a degree at MSU Denver upon his release.

There was no way of knowing that the decision to study Computer Information Systems would lead Gurulé back home, where he got involved in the community and became mayor in 2023 (he remains in office), all while having a family and working a full-time job as a senior database administrator.

Gurulé's powerful tale is one of redemption, perseverance and finding your way home. Along the way, he discovered that the path to happiness is paved with education and proved that the mistakes we make do not have to limit our future.

As of January 2026, this profile is in the number-one spot for both a Google search of “Duane Gurulé” and for a Google search of “Rocky Ford, Colorado, mayor.”