A travel center employee who helped a woman who fled a man holding her against her will has been honored for her actions.
Cassandra Fuller, a cashier at the TravelCenters of America location in Holbrook, Arizona has been named winner of TAT’s 2026 Harriet Tubman Award presented by WEX.
TAT Executive Director Esther Goetsch made the announcement, accompanied by Matt Crumpton, vice president, OTR National Account Sales for WEX, at the WEX OTR Summit Oct. 27 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Fuller was unable to attend but sent a video expressing her appreciation. In mid-February, Fuller saw a woman enter the store through the quick-service restaurant entrance. She was covered in dirt, barefoot and bleeding from her mouth. Fuller approached her and learned the woman had escaped a man who’d been holding her against her will and physically assaulting her.
The woman had managed to jump out of a vehicle on the highway and run toward the lights of the TA location seeking help.
Fuller acted quickly, escorting the woman to the back office to ensure she remained safe and out of public view while they called 911 together. She then waited with her until the police and EMS arrived. She also notified management of the situation.
Due to the actions of Fuller and the TA team, the victim not only received help and evaluation at a nearby medical center, but law enforcement officers later apprehended her perpetrator.
“I didn’t do it for fame, fortune, or recognition,” Fuller said. “I did it because human trafficking is real, lives are being stolen, and this world is already in shambles. When I had the chance to help someone who needed a voice, I did what I hope someone would do for my own family.
"Winning this award is an honor, but knowing I helped make a difference in someone’s life means more than any recognition ever could. This award is a reminder of why we must keep speaking up, staying vigilant, and standing against trafficking, because doing the right thing shouldn’t require an award, and saving a life should never require a reason.
"To be honest, after the incident, I thought that's all it was, a done deal. Months went by before I was even told I’d been nominated.”
TA instructs its more than 18,000 employees annually using TAT’s human trafficking training. Fuller has worked for TA off and on for a decade in both Arizona and Louisiana. She hails from a trucking family – with her dad being a truck driver for 30 years and her mom working at a truck stop for the same amount of time. She is married with five children.
The Harriet Tubman Award, sponsored by WEX, comes with a $5,000 check and a trophy and is presented annually to honor a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place.
“Cassandra embodies what this award stands for,” Crumpton stated. “She saw someone in need and stepped forward without hesitation, showing her selflessness, compassion and courage. At WEX, we believe in acting with integrity and being a positive force in our communities, and Cassandra reminds us that it doesn’t require a title, just the courage to do what’s right.”
