Hesston College student wins inaugural Peace Talks competition

Hesston College sophomore Mateo Gonzalez turned a personal connection to restorative justice into a first-place finish at the inaugural Peace Talks competition Saturday, September 19, at Goshen College in Goshen, Ind.

Gonzalez, an engineering student from Madrid, Spain, was one of five college students invited to compete in the first-year event. His speech, “More Than a Sentence: Exploring Restorative Justice,” challenged listeners to consider how justice can extend beyond punishment.

“My speech explores the limitations of purely punitive justice and advocates for a restorative approach that fosters healing and true accountability,” Gonzalez explains. “Through personal reflections, biblical examples like Jesus and Zacchaeus and the inspiring story of Reginald Dwayne Betts, I argue that people are more than their worst mistakes and deserve the chance for redemption.”

For Gonzalez, the subject was more than an academic exercise. His interest in restorative justice began with a story much closer to home.

“I think what made my speech stand out was the personal connection behind it and the strong foundation of the topic itself,” Gonzalez says. “My speech was inspired by a documentary my mom made about a juvenile intervention program (Before It’s Too Late), which allowed me to speak with genuine passion and real conviction about restorative justice.”

Gonzalez’s path to the Peace Talks stage began last semester on the Hesston College campus through his participation in the C. Henry Smith speech contest in May.

“When I found out I was selected to advance to the national Peace Talks competition, it was definitely a pleasant surprise, but it also motivated me to start refining and practicing my speech again for the next contest,” Gonzalez shares.

For its inaugural year, Peace Talks used participation in the C. Henry Smith contest as the basis for inviting students to compete. The two competitions remain separate, with the C. Henry Smith contest continuing independently. Gonzalez has also entered that competition via video submission; results are expected to be announced in October.

Hesston College Campus Pastor and Bible Professor Nick Ladd accompanied Gonzalez to Goshen and watched his speech continue to develop throughout a full day of workshops, coaching and preparation, all of which Gonzalez soaked up with a positive attitude and coachable spirit. Ladd notes that while Gonzalez brought together a real-life story, supporting information, biblical examples and a relatable call to action, his approach to the preparation process also stood out.

“By 7 p.m., when the contest started, the contestants were all very tired and worn out,” Ladd explains. “I believe another thing that helped Mateo in that moment was his experience from playing soccer at HC. He knows what it is like to be exhausted at half time of a game and still pull together his strength, energy and courage to go play hard for another 45 minutes for the second half.”

After hours of preparation and facing a strong group of fellow speakers, Gonzalez says the nerves of the moment quickly gave way to a connection with those listening.

“Performing in the final round was an incredible experience,” Gonzalez recalls. “Naturally, there were some nerves given the stage and the high level of all the contestants, but once I started speaking, I felt deeply connected with the audience and to the message I was sharing.”

That connection ultimately resulted in Gonzalez being named the first winner in the competition’s history — an outcome he wasn’t expecting as he waited for the results.

“When I heard my name announced as the winner, it was a big surprise because all of the other contestants did such a fantastic job,” Gonzalez says.

The victory also gave Gonzalez an opportunity to represent Hesston alongside students from other established four-year colleges. For Ladd, seeing a Hesston student distinguish himself in this competitive field was especially meaningful.

“It was such an honor and privilege to walk alongside Mateo for this event,” Ladd says. “I hope that his experience will also help bolster excitement for other students to participate in the contest this year.”

Beyond the first-place result, Gonzalez came away from Goshen valuing the people he met and the experiences surrounding the competition itself.

“Peace talks was an incredible experience and opportunity not only because of the well prepared contest itself, but also because of all the activities and workshops we did,” explains Gonzalez. “I will never forget the people I met and the great time I had in Goshen.”

Placing second in the Peace Talks competition was Katherine Brown of Tabor College (Hillsboro, Kan.) with her speech titled, “The Woman on the Corner: Prostitutes are People too.” Other finalists included Caoimhe Farrell of Goshen College, Sophia Kauffman of Conrad Grebel University College (Waterloo, Ontario) and Preston Vicenzi of Bethel College (North Newton, Kan.).

Peace Talks is a new annual public speaking event focused on faith-based storytelling about peace and justice and is part of More Than Just Stories, a Goshen College initiative funded through a five-year, $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. For more information about the competition, Gonzalez’s speech and the other finalists, visit the Peace Talks contest recap.

Photo (courtesy of Peter Ringenberg Photography):
Mateo Gonzalez of Hesston College won first place at the inaugural Peace Talks contest held at Goshen College on September 19 for his speech, “More Than a Sentence: Exploring Restorative Justice.”