This year’s awardee has had a life’s journey that most of us probably can’t relate to or comprehend. While the woman we honor today is always cheery and full of positive energy, she did not come to be this way without struggle. Like a phoenix who rises from the ashes, this woman has put behind her the dark days of struggle, and through extending love and forgiveness to all, she has truly learned to fly through life in a spectacular, even colorful, way. If you have taken time to hear her story and connect with her heart, you would understand why she is the perfect fit for our theme “We Got This.” Marie Curie said, “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”
Certainly, almost everyone in this room has crossed paths with our awardee in some way. When you do, she not only greets you with a beautiful smile, she remembers your name. Seeing her thrive in her job, connecting with people and remembering their favorite dishes on her menu is truly inspiring.
Our 2024 Womanhood Award recipient is Rosa Escobar!
Rosa is a mother; she’s a loving wife, an incredible friend and a dedicated business owner. Her journey from Nayarit, Mexico, to making Kanab her forever home is a testament to her resilience. For 27 years now, she has brought a spice to our little town in more ways than one!
Beyond the success of the restaurant, it’s the heart she puts into providing jobs for our community, welcoming those of Latino and Hispanic culture to America and supporting local events that make her story remarkable.
While we all feel so welcome in her restaurant, Rosa also welcomes anyone into her home. It does not matter if you are her biological child. She will give you a comfortable bed, raise you, feed you, teach you to work hard and help you fulfill your dreams. She has done this for so many, and they are now contributing members of society. She claims many children, and they all know they have a place in her heart.
Rosa also welcomes many to her workforce. It does not matter if you have work experience, she will work with your schedule, teach you to wash the dishes, pour the salsa, chill the glasses, clean the kitchen and stay long after the guests are gone to get ready for the next day. She’ll even feed you for free. In other words, she’ll treat you as her own.
Rosa has welcomed thousands of hungry people into the doors of her restaurant over the years, and while they may think they are visiting this establishment for food, they find out there is something more inside. The place has heart, and it doesn’t take long to figure out who the captain of the ship is! After helping you find a comfortable table, Rosa will sit down with you and laugh and share stories, and you will feel like not one of thousands, but the only one in the place. She will remember what you like to order, down to the extra sour cream, and she will tease you about never ordering something different. She will smile and go talk with someone else, leaving you shaking your head at this human with a heart that accommodates strangers and old friends alike with a warmth and vivacity that seems unearthly. When you sit at Rosa’s table, you feel at home.
Perhaps the greatest measure of Rosa’s impact on her community is what happens when she leaves town. It is fitting that this happens during the coldest time of year, when the days are short and the nights are long. It seems that when Rosa is gone to Mexico, there is a little shadow over Kanab, and although we are so happy she is spending time with her beloved parents and relatives, we breathe a sigh of relief when she comes home to her Kanab family and the fiesta can begin again.
We are so lucky to live in the era of Rosa, for she makes us all feel like part of her tribe. After spending a little time with this industrious, exciting, loving, motivating woman, one comes away with the undeniable feeling: “We Got This!”
“We’re just so thankful we live in Kanab,” says Rosa. “We love the community and we’re grateful for the support. It’s always nice to come home, this is home for us. You know we’ve raised 11 kids here and now we’re raising grandkids here … and that’s really what it’s all about, we did it for the kids and now we’re doing it for the grandkids. We’re just thankful to everybody here.”
