The Women’s Leadership Luncheon celebrates leadership, service, scholarship, and the stories of women whose work inspires the McMurry community.
Advancing Through the Arts
Wendy Rodrigue Magnus is an author, storyteller, arts advocate, and founder of the Life & Legacy Foundation. She spent nearly three decades preserving the legacy of artist George Rodrigue, creator of the Blue Dog series, while supporting museum exhibitions, publications, and arts education initiatives.
Today, she travels nationwide sharing Rodrigue’s work through exhibitions and storytelling. Since 2017, the Life & Legacy Foundation has produced 22 museum exhibitions across eight states and delivered hundreds of presentations in schools, universities, and museums.
As the featured speaker for McMurry University’s Women’s Leadership Luncheon, Wendy presented “Footnote: Wife to a Blue Dog Man,” reflecting on resilience, identity, and voice while encouraging women to embrace purpose and legacy.
New Opportunities Arise
Established in 2014 in honor of Dr. Sandra S. Harper’s inauguration as McMurry’s 10th president, the Women’s Leadership Scholarship recognizes students who excel academically and demonstrate leadership and service. Supported by the annual Women’s Leadership Luncheon, two $5,000 scholarships are awarded each year to traditional and nontraditional students.
In 2025, McMurry also established the Dr. Lynne Murray Women’s Leadership Scholarship. From a pool of 38 applicants, the 2025–26 recipients are Erin Fallon and Kelli Hobbs (Harper Scholarship) and K’Linda Mason (Murray Scholarship).
Erin Fallon
Exercise Science & Human Performance
Erin Fallon is a junior from New Braunfels, Texas, majoring in exercise science and human performance. She serves as Kinesiology Klub president, works as a supplemental instructor, and competes in volleyball and track. She also coaches, officiates, and volunteers in the community. “My experiences have shown me the powerful influence women leaders can have when they lead with both strength and compassion,” she said.
K’Linda Mason
Business Administration
K’Linda Mason is a junior from Hereford, Texas, majoring in business administration. She serves as president of PAATH, McMurry’s Black Student Union, and holds multiple campus leadership roles. She also works with the NAACP Abilene branch. “Leadership isn’t just about directing people,” she said. “It’s about creating systems that build trust and function smoothly.”
It’s Never Too Late to Chase Your Dreams
Kelli Hobbs
Aide-to-Teacher
For the nontraditional Dr. Sandra S. Harper Women’s Leadership Scholarship recipient, Kelli Hobbs, becoming a teacher has been a lifelong dream. After spending years focused on raising her family, Hobbs returned to college and is now a junior majoring in early childhood education.
A full-time paraprofessional at Jim Ned CISD, Hobbs balances coursework, parenting four children, and leading two Girl Scout troops. Her days are long, but her motivation is simple: her children.
“I go to work at 7:20 in the morning,” she explained. “On Mondays and Wednesdays, I leave work and come straight to class until about 8:30 at night. Then I go home, feed the kids, get them ready for bed, and after they’re asleep, I stay up doing homework.”
Between softball games, baseball practices, Girl Scouts, and school assignments, Hobbs admits life can feel overwhelming at times. But her motivation remains crystal clear.
That determination is exactly what led Hobbs to McMurry’s aide-to-teacher program designed for paraprofessionals who want to become certified teachers while continuing to work in schools.
A Program Built for Working Educators
“When I heard about the [aide-to-teacher] program, I knew I had to do it,” Hobbs said. “It was specifically tailored for people like me who wanted to do more in the classroom.”
The program has not only helped her academically but also given her a strong support system. Hobbs says one of her favorite parts of McMurry is the close-knit community among her classmates.
Hobbs hopes to one day teach math and create a classroom environment where students feel safe, supported, and valued regardless of academic performance.
“I want my classroom to feel peaceful,” she said. “Some kids may not have peace at home, and I want school to be a place where they feel loved and cared for. Whether they make a 100 or bomb a test, I want them to know they matter.”
Looking Toward Graduation
As graduation draws closer, Hobbs hopes her story inspires others who may feel uncertain about returning to school or pursuing a long-delayed dream.
“My advice would be just to do it,” she said. “There are going to be times when you want to give up, but it’s worth it. One day, you’ll look back and realize all the hard work paid off.”
When Hobbs finally walks across the graduation stage next year, she knows exactly who she’ll be looking for in the crowd: the four children who inspired her every step of the way.