Melissa Rosales Presented The Minnie L Anderson at HSU Graduation

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Rosales Receiving Her Award

ABILENE, TX (05/16/2012)(readMedia)-- Melissa Rosales of Mission, Texas, was awarded The Minnie L. Anderson Award as a part of commencement exercises at Hardin-Simmons University May 12, 2012. Rosales graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Behavioral Science degree in social work.

The Minnie L. Anderson Award is presented to a senior woman who has spent three or more years in residence at Hardin-Simmons University, and who has excelled in character, personal development, and service to the university.  The 2012 honoree has distinguished herself in academics, leadership, and community service.

Rosales has made the Dean's List every semester over her career at HSU and was in the Honors Program. In addition, she has been a four-year member and a leader on the HSU's Women's Soccer team, a member of the 2010 National Championship team, and a four-time ASC All-Conference Academic Team selection.

She has been active with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program for two years, is a member of the Social Work Club, and has served as vice president and president of the HSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity.  Her work experience during her college career includes an internship at the Abilene Transition Center, Boys and Girls Club of America, and Camp Good News, a Christian summer camp on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

While attending HSU, Rosales received the Woods Endowed Scholarship for Social Work for 2010-2011 and the Dan Cooper Research Excellence Award for Social Work Research. She was also a member of the Social Work Practice III class in 2011 that worked with the HSU administration on better disability accessibility on our campus, which led to new accommodations and an improved facilities plan related to accessibility issues across the campus.

Her Honors Program capstone project was focused on homelessness in Abilene. Her research on homelessness was presented in March at the Champions for Children Conference, and will be used by the West Texas Homeless Network to address homelessness issues in our community.

Rosales will return to the area and have a positive influence on underserved academic populations in that area. In pursuit of this, she has accepted a position teaching eighth grade English at IDEA College Prep School in Alamo, Texas, and will begin teaching there this fall.

She is the daughter of Ramon and Doreen Rosales.

About Hardin-Simmons University:

HSU has an enrollment of approximately 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students from 28 states and 20 countries.

HSU sits on 220 acres and has a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Eighty percent of HSU's faculty members hold the highest available degree in their fields.

Tuition rates for full-time students do not increase while they are enrolled in consecutive fall and spring semesters and make continuous, satisfactory progress toward a degree. (The tuition freeze does not apply to some programs.)

• Ranked in the Top Tier of U.S. News and World Report's Best Universities in the Western Region

• Cited by The Princeton Review as a Best in the West University

• Recognized by Colleges of Distinction for teaching, learning, and service

• Named to the 2011 Honor Roll by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a Great College to Work For

• Named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

Through seven schools and colleges, HSU offers seven undergraduate degree programs encompassing more than 70 major fields of study. Eighteen graduate programs are offered, including doctoral programs in physical therapy, ministry, functional manual therapy, and education.

Special programs include Honors, International Studies, and Leadership Studies.

Hardin-Simmons University, founded in 1891, is a private Christian institution, affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (Texas Baptists) since 1941.