When Trinity’s new director of forensics, Katrina Brominguez, walks into a classroom, she does not just see rows of desks. She sees a kingdom.
“For me, teaching is kind of like ruling your own kingdom,” Brominguez said. “I have to get results, but how I get those results is entirely up to me. That kind of control is fantastic.”
Her reign, however, is not about power; it is about words. Growing up, watching her father teach history classes began to foster her desire to teach others. She fell in love with communication, which led her to study English with a minor in feminist studies during college.
“I’ve always loved teaching,” Brominguez said. “Frankly, I like being able to talk constantly and force people to listen.”
For nearly 20 years, Brominguez has lived and breathed speech and debate, first as a competitor and now as a coach.
“My love of words and belief that communication is the basis of human society (drew me to debate),” Brominguez said. “And the amazing thing is that there’s not one event, there’s many, so it activates all parts of my brain.”
That passion carried her through teaching English, journalism, yearbook and debate. At her previous school, Fort Walton Beach High School, Brominguez won Teacher of the Year for the entire Okaloosa County District.
“I won Teacher of the Year because of my English teaching, not debate, and I’ve always felt grateful for that recognition,” Brominguez said.
But what Brominguez is most proud of are the programs she built that take public speaking beyond the competition room. Her students debated current events with nursing home residents, led assemblies on fentanyl and mentored elementary school kids with speech games.
As she prepares to lead Trinity’s forensics team, Brominguez wants her students to see the bigger picture.
“You don’t become a lawyer purely because of the money — I mean the money is nice — but you become a lawyer to help people,” Brominguez said. “That moral backbone is important, and your school really focuses on that.”
Outside the classroom, Brominguez still loves a good contest. She met her husband through online video games, and the pair now channels their competitive spirit into board games.
“I’m obsessed with Catan right now,” she laughed. “And my Monopoly set is wooden, carved and engraved with my name. We’re very extra, but it’s fabulous.”
The couple even celebrated their wedding in Bali, Indonesia, with a video game background.
“I have a picture of me in my wedding gown with my husband and a video game on the screen,” Brominguez said. “It’s very us.”
Her competitive streak carries over to her free time. Brominguez jokes that if she has not made a nemesis by the end of a board game, she has not played it right.
“In debate, the rule is always blood in the water, no bodies on the floor,” Brominguez said. “I feel the same way about Monopoly: fight me.”
Now at Trinity, she is eager to expand the middle school debate program, build stronger ties with the theater department, and continue to push her students as competitors and as people.
“I’ve been talking to the new theater teacher, and I would love to really connect with him and his kids,” Brominguez said. “Theater and debate are like cousins, and I think it would be really cool to bring them together.”
With her sharp wit, big ambitions and board game enthusiasm, Trinity’s new director of forensics is ready to lead and teach students to think beyond trophies and tournaments.
“If all that matters is winning, then you haven’t taught good people; you raised selfish ones,” Brominguez said. “It has to be about more than competition. It’s about service and community.”
