Marin Women's Hall of Fame

By R.L.S. Kropf 
In conjunction with the Marin Writer’s Center

         You can hardly imagine a woman as passionate about justice as Dr. Rosario Carr-Casanova.  If you get a chance to meet her, you know you are meeting somebody special.  A clear light shines from her eyes.

         Rosario is passionate about making this world a good place for people of every religion, every race and every nationality.  She believes that all of us deserve the best of what life offers.  It doesn’t matter whether we are rich or poor, male or female, young or old, strong or weak.  Each of us has the ability, the inner power, and the right, to work toward being happy.  Rosario believes that you can make most of your good wishes and thoughts come true, that you can make them real!

         If you asked her about the special light in her eyes, she would insist that the light is placed there by kind children, joyful elderly, and by people who act to remedy the ills of this world.  Rosario uses her special light to see other people’s problems.   Because she studied psychology, today she is a Psychotherapist --  a person who works with others solving personal problems, family problems and work problems.  For example, sometimes Rosario helps with the pain people feel when somebody dear to them dies.  This loss is one of the most intense feelings a person can experience.

         Rarely do you hear Rosario complain.  Instead, she restates the situation in a positive way.  She would tell you, "I like to act to make sure people have the opportunity and the necessary information to solve their own problems."

 WHERE DID ROSARIO COME FROM?

         Rosario was born in San Isidro, Peru, a small town fifteen miles outside of Lima, the capital of Peru.  She describes San Isidro as a peaceful tiny town where buses only came early in the morning and then late at night.  The houses were built among olive trees, special horse riding trails crisscrossed the area and the town was clean as a whistle, quiet and safe.  Today the town is still pretty, but with lots of traffic and not as safe as in the past.  Her family name is Casanova and it is a very old name.  Her family traces its roots to Pre-Colombian times, to the natives in Peru.  She is very proud of her Native-American ancestors.  The name Casanova is of European origin.  In Peru a woman having these two different historical roots -- Native and European -- is called a Mestiza, and legend has it that Mestizas were and are beautiful, strong, intelligent and very brave.  "We are honorable warriors," says Rosario, "we fight to make things right, so people can choose to be happy and free."

 WHAT DID ROSARIO DO?

         First, Rosario learned.  The family that Rosario was born into could afford to allow her to get a good education.  She chose to go to a fine, small school.  She was one of twelve in her graduating class!  She was a good student and was very observant.  She noticed everything.  She learned to read and write Spanish and English.  Then she added mathematics, history, logic, philosophy, geography and Latin to her schedule.

         She chose to go to San Francisco to attend college.  It was the 1960’s. Those of you who remember the 60’s, or have learned about that time from you studies or you parents, know that it was a time of great confusion and of great social change in our country.  Rosario visited and experienced San Francisco State University and the University of California at Berkeley.  The turmoil and strife surrounding most schoolsin the 60’s was attractive, but confusing.  Rosario was delighted to find the College of Marin.  The quiet campus of the college and the beauty of Marin County reminded her of her own town back in Peru.

         Her experience at the College of Marin was just right.  Mentors, wise people  who took an interest in her there, helped her in her decision to go on past  the two-year Associate degree to San Francisco State University for a  ‘Bachelor of Arts’ (B.A.)degree in Psychology.  And it was at San Francisco State University that Rosario chose to go even further – to earn a  ‘Master of Science’ (M.S.) degree in Clinical Psychology.

         At the same time that Rosario learned, she played.  Learning is fun, Rosario thinks.   She likes to discover new things and tries to learn from old things and wise people, too. She is always asking questions and looking for real answers.  She likes to get to the center of things. She is always asking:  "How is it built?  Why does it work so well?  Am I able do it?"  After getting her answers from teachers, books and libraries, she does it!

         Rosario continued to work, learn and have fun; she earned a ‘Doctorate of Philosophy’ (Ph.D.) in Clinical-Social Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California.  There, she met a friend who -- many, many years later -- would turn out to be the best friend of her whole life,  her husband, Dr. Richard E. Levy.  She earned the professional credentials to become a psychotherapist.  Now she was "Dr. Rosario Carr-Casanova."

        After Rosario learned, she taught.  She became a professor and counselor at a Community College in California and then  managed the college’s Psychological Service office to help all searching students.  In mid-career, she Was invited to attend the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University as a Women’s Leadership Fellow.  It was a great honor that also included a sizeable scholarship.  This honor was partly in recognition for her accomplishments in providing services to the poor.  Those services included organizing people and raising money to send hard-working low-income students to the best schools in the nation.

         When Rosario heard the news of her Women’s Leadership scholarship, she was so happy that she walked on a cloud for several months.  She arrived at Harvard University and moved into the student dorms.  She had the time of her life!  There, she did not have to worry about cooking or shopping  for groceries – breakfast and dinner were served.  She did not even have to look for friends.  The dorm was full of other students, and she entered into many wonderful friendships that endure until today.

         For the first time since Rosario left her parent’s home she could dedicate all her waking hours to learning.  At Harvard she learned how to combine groups into larger bodies to make bigger changes.  She learned to affect public policy,  to change budgets, appropriations, ordinances, and regulations.  She learned about leadership and the effective use of power.  She learned about negotiations, contracts, how to interpret the law and how to use all of this to solve huge social problems.  Now Rosario knew how to make big changes and how to use her personal power as well as other people’s impetus to implement good government at local, state and federal levels.  Great power, indeed.

         Living in Marin County, Rosario had already discovered that groups of people cooperating together could make even more changes, larger changes and faster changes than one person could.  Rosario had often increased her own power to change by joining groups.  At Harvard University she sharpened her knowledge of the processes of politics and group dynamics -- the way groups tend to act and how they best function.  There, she learned to influence the many important things that groups do.

         Groups can design missions, set goals, collect funds, get grants, find donors and form organizations.  Organizations can support new ideas, attract attention, promote causes and pull in even more people to help.   After Harvard, Rosario continued to support groups of people who had ideas like hers about helping people.  Now she did so even more effectively.  And if she couldn’t find a group interested in a particular problem . . . she formed one!

 WHAT DOES ROSARIO DO NOW?

         After Rosario learned, she began to volunteer as well as teach and counsel.  If Rosario thought a group was doing the right thing, she joined it to help out.  If Rosario didn’t think the organization was moving in the right direction, she joined the organization just to change it  -- to get it going in the right direction. We can be sure that only Rosario knows all the many organizations and circles she has been a member of after thirty years in Marin County.  A complete list  would be impressive.  However, we can better understand the power of this  remarkable woman if we tour just a sampling of her activities.

         Government branches and agencies are organizations with great influence over our lives.  Rosario tries to get the best people into both elected and appointed offices.  She carefully endorses political candidates who are running for office with the goal of making life better for us all, especially children, women, elderly and the environment.

        Rosario says, "But, if my candidate is NOT elected, then I really go to work!  I make sure that whoever is elected is held accountable to the needs of the population.  We cannot vote, elect, and go home to rest.  We are responsible for the type of government we have.  Politicians need to know that we are paying attention.  If we do not like what they are doing, we can always organize and get them out.  Democracy provides the ultimate power to the people!"

         A comment from one of Rosario’s friends:  "Rosario is one of those unique individuals with strong roots in the belief that government is for the people. She is what some of us call ‘the honest broker,’ that special person for whom ethical behavior is an everyday affair. She is honest to the core."

        Continuing our mini-tour of Rosario’s activities, let’s read some of the Minutes of the Marin County Board of Supervisors.  The "minutes" record what goes on at each meeting.  We can find Rosario’s name sprinkled here and there in the Supervisors’ Minutes, year after year.  Check the entry from a  May 1999 meeting.  We find the Supervisors  appointing Dr. Rosario Carr- Casanova to the newly-formed Marin County Children & Families Commission.

         Some months later we find this record: "Dr. Casanova noted that the role of the Commission is to cultivate collaboration among the many agencies serving children and welcomes all ideas and suggestions."   And then a year later in May, 2000, we find her back at the Board of Supervisors, helping to  present and comment on the new draft "Strategic Plan for Children and Families" for Marin County.  We know this is important work.  When we can raise good kids, the whole society benefits.  Can you imagine all the time and patience Rosario contributed just to this one project from one May to the next?

 Suppose we read the vision, mission and goal statement of the Hispanic Community Foundation?

VISION: A healthy Latino community, whose education, prosperity, and leadership contribute to the well being of society.

 MISSION: The Hispanic Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life
          for Latinos through education, giving, and leadership development.

 GOAL: To increase the academic achievement of Hispanics by working with
 students  and their families in all stages of their educational development.

 Guess who is a member of the Board of Directors of this non-profit charitable foundation?  Yes, Dr. Rosario Carr-Casanova.  Once again we find Rosario giving time, energy, and money to change things for the better.

         Let’s look at “La Fundacion de Solidaridad Mexico-Americana.”  This is a foundation for Mexican-American solidarity.  They raise money to aid cooperation and exchange of ideas between the two countries.  It has branches in 80 cities (23 States) in the USA, and 12 cities (10 States) in Mexico.  In 1995 this organization established a roll of distinguished members.  This  formed a network of individual members stretching the length of the USA.  Who’s on it?  Dr. Rosario Carr-Casanova, of course.

         At the time of this writing in the year 2000, Rosario is serving with the following major organizations and many smaller ones:

          The Marin Institute for the Prevention of Alcohol and Other Drug Problems

The Marin Partnership for Families and Children

Dominican University of California Leadership Forum,  Executive Committee

Hispanics in Philanthropy

Latin American Women Association (President)

Chicana Latina Foundation, Board of Directors

50+ Psychological Services (President)

AND FINALLY . . .

         We have traced one more route Rosario took to find the power to change things for the better.  She worked hard, she learned, she taught, she laughed and she played.  And further, tirelessly and ceaselessly, even with her own health  fragile, for organization after organization, Rosario VOLUNTEERED.

         In 1994 the Marin Council of Agencies and the Marin County Citizens’ Foundation declared Dr. Rosario Carr-Casanova "Marin County Citizen of the Year".  This award was presented to Rosario in recognition of all of the volunteer work that she is always doing to change and improve our institutions.  Friends from all over Marin, the Bay Area, California and the whole USA came together for the occasion.  Even her old "Gang of Five" friends from Harvard University gathered.  In her acceptance speech, Rosario praised those who had come to honor her for making what she did possible.

         In addition to her active work and volunteer life, Rosario travels. Traveling has helped her power grow.  She can jump on a jet faster, looking better, with less luggage than anyone we know.  You could almost recognize her in an airport: a striking woman with a vital stride, black hair pulled tightly back in the classic Spanish style of the great flamenco dancers, raised proud chin, flashing eyes, fine posture and loose silky clothing.

         She first traveled to find out how things were done in many parts of the world.  Now Rosario travels for pleasure, plus she serves as a consultant and on Advisory Boards in many places.  And by traveling, she gives.  What does she give? She gives those who can’t be present a voice -- and a vote.

         Most of all,  Rosario listens.  All her life, she has listened carefully to people as they talked.  She listens to teenagers in pain and rebellion.  She listens to people in need of counseling.  She listens to newcomers to America, afraid and embarrassed.  And in return she gives them hope and skills to cope.  And from all the listening, her formula for the power to change things has come full circle.  Because from all that listening, Rosario learns.  And that brings us back to the very first thing Rosario did to boost her power to change things.  She learned.  And she has never stopped learning -- or listening.  No wonder she was nominated for our Marin County Women’s Hall of Fame!

         Do you think this wonderful woman, will ever stop working, learning, volunteering, teaching, traveling, laughing, or listening as much as she can, as often as she can?   Do you think she will ever stop changing things for the better as long as she can?  Do you think she will ever stop seeking justice for all?   Never!

         "I will die with my boots on," she likes to say.  "All of what I have done has provided me with much love, and . . . I like the way love makes me feel!"