Rossina Sandoval Monsivais ATHENA display unveiled at Dubois County Museum

Dubois County- The Rotary Club of Dubois County unveiled Rossina Sandoval Monsivais’ display in the ATHENA exhibit at the Dubois County Museum on January 11, 2023. 

Rossina was named the 2022 recipient of the ATHENA Leadership Award on August 18th at the Club’s 10th Annual ATHENA Leadership Awards Banquet, which celebrates female leaders of Dubois County. Her display joins those of all previous recipients in the ATHENA exhibit. Previous recipients include Jane Chappell (2012), Brenda Stallings (2013), Kathy Tretter (2014), Nancy Eckerle (2015), Connie Nass (2016), Tonya Heim (2017), Kim Messmer (2018), Dr. Tracy Lorey (2019) and Kelly Clauss (2021). 

ATHENA International is a non-profit organization that seeks to support, develop, and honor women leaders. The program inspires women to reach their full potential and strives to create balance in leadership worldwide. The program identifies eight distinct attributes that are reflective of women’s contributions to leadership: Authentic Self, Relationships, Giving Back, Collaboration, Courageous Acts, Learning, Fierce Advocacy, and Celebration & Joy. These personal traits combined with the strongest aspects of traditional leadership—taking risks, assertiveness, and hard work—prepare women to be successful leaders in the 21st century.

In 2016, Rossina made an incredibly hard decision to give up her professional practice of psychology in Mexico to immigrate to the United States. She certainly has wasted no time in making a difference in her new home and leaving a lasting impact on so many members of our community. She currently serves as Director of Community Engagement for Southwest Dubois County School Corporation. She is making an impact on the students, their families, school staff, and the community to help carry out her vision of building a system that sustains education equity and cultural competency. Rossina has demonstrated the skill of coalition building and has used that skill to create partnerships with IU, VUJC, ALASI, Latino Collaboration Table, Sisters of St. Benedict, Center for Rural Engagement, the cities of Jasper and Huntingburg, Dubois County Museum, SWICACC, Dubois County Courts, Dubois County Health Department and Dubois County Purdue Extension among others, to help improve the health and welfare of her community. 

Rossina is constantly working, gathering, and utilizing data to help ensure that her multicultural daughter grows up in a community where all people can access education and health services, a community where cultural differences are not just tolerated but celebrated, and where individuals move through the acculturation process—embracing the richness of their heritage. On her display, it reads, “¡Si Se Puede! – Yes We Can!”

“Rossina is very deserving of the ATHENA recognition, and we are excited to add her name to our official display at the Dubois County Museum,” said Joyce Fleck, Rotary Club of Dubois County President. “We hope community members will take time to visit the museum and pay tribute to these amazing women.” 

The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. The Rotary Club of Dubois County is an active social and service club comprised of dynamic and diverse professionals who make a lasting difference in our community and around the world. 

The 2023 ATHENA event will be September 13, 2023, at the Huntingburg Event Center. Nominations are now open, and the deadline for nomination submission is June 7, 2023. To access the nomination form and learn more about the ATHENA Banquet, follow the Rotary Club of Dubois County on Facebook or visit www.duboiscountyrotary.com,