Friends, family and prominent women gathered at the Pauline Espinosa Community Hall to celebrate the achievements of Molly Ann Rosas-Garcia and Melani Howard as they were inducted into the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame.
Rosas-Garcia, San Marcos native, was the first honored inductee on the night of Oct. 3. She spends most of her time volunteering on numerous committee boards throughout the city. Her volunteer work includes many non-profits in the area, especially those dedicated to helping bring necessities to those in need.
“I feel like you have to find what it is that you’re passionate about, what you want to contribute and what you want to make change for,” Rosas-Garcia said. “When more women realize that what we do makes a difference and that people are noticing what we do, we can have a louder voice.”
Rosas-Garcia said getting recognized was a shock, as other recognized women are pioneers in the community, but she felt honored. She aims to use her induction to inspire more women to make a change in the San Marcos community and use their power to inspire others.
“You really can make a difference, even if it’s just with one person,” Rosas-Garcia said. “You get out of the community what you put in it. Make something happen, get involved, your voice does matter.”
The next inductee of the night was Howard, local naturalist, who recently retired from decades of service to San Marcos’ environment and the U.S. Air Force. Similarly to Rosas-Garcia, she is involved with the San Marcos community, particularly in protecting the San Marcos River and other natural resources necessary to protect the community’s environment.
“[The river] is where my heart is, it’s where my job was, so that is where I tend to go,” Howard said. “I’m on the board with the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance as their secretary, and I co-chair one of their committees. I also volunteer for the San Marcos River Alliance and the Eyes of San Marcos.”
Howard said she felt honored among such passionate women devoted to making a change in the community, as the sense of community while volunteering makes her want to never stop. She also encouraged San Marcos citizens to volunteer with organizations in the area.
“When people give to you, you should give back,” Howard said. “San Marcos really is a unique community, it’s very special. Students in the area should think about settling here and looking into volunteer work because there is a lot of things going on, a lot of things to help out with.”
The Women’s Hall of Fame began in 1984 to honor the volunteer work and leadership of women in the community and has since inducted over 140 women. Page Michel, Chamber of Commerce president and the night’s keynote speaker, focused on celebrating the inducted women during her speech, praising them for their service and leadership within the community.
“People talk about legacies as something to leave behind, but these women are creating their legacies in real time,” Michel said. “When women come together in service to our community, amazing things happen.”
For more information on the Women’s Hall of Fame and past inductees, visit https://www.sanmarcostx.gov/332/Womens-Hall-of-Fame.
