Michelle Hamilton Inducted to Women's Hall of Fame
Dr. Michelle Hamilton Inducted into San Marcos Women's Hall of Fame
(San Marcos, TX | October 22, 2015)
Dr. Michelle Hamilton, will be one of four women being inducted into the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame on Thursday, October 22nd.
The Hall of Fame was initiated in 1984 to honor local women who have gone above and beyond by volunteering in multiple areas of service, meeting the needs of the community, demonstrating initiative and affecting positive change. To date, 125 women have been inducted.
Dr. Michelle Hamilton is convinced that young readers become leaders–and she won’t be satisfied until every child in Hays County has the opportunity to realize that dream.
As associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance, she spends much of her day directing the Center for P-16 Initiatives, which she was instrumental in establishing. The primary goals of the Center are close to Dr. Hamilton’s heart; they include improving college access and success for economically disadvantaged students; improving college readiness; and promoting early literacy initiatives for Pre-K children. To further these goals, Hamilton has gone well beyond her day job, contributing to numerous local agencies, committees and programs.
In 2008, Hamilton helped established SOAR, which stands for Seeking Opportunities, Achieving Results. This community-based collaborative between the Chamber of Commerce, SMCISD, Texas State, United Way and other entities promotes community engagement to provide educational equity and academic achievement for San Marcos children.
SOAR also established the local Education Fair in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and its Education Advisory Board, on which Hamilton has served for several years. The fair has now evolved into the STEM Fair, where children and families across the district can enjoy learning hands-on about careers and opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math.
She has also devoted her time and effort to the United Way of Hays County, where she currently serves as vice chair of the board and will become chair in 2016. She is also vice chair of the city’s Commission on Youth and Family, which helped write the city’s Youth Master Plan. In 2014, she helped organize the Give-a-Kid-a-Camp program, which has helped 25 disadvantaged San Marcos CISD students attend summer camp.
Dr. Hamilton is joined by fellow 2015 inductees: Terri Hendrix, Rebecca Ramirez, and Jonnie Wilson.