SAN ANTONIO – With a handshake, then a hug, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar draped a star-shaped medal around Berenice Rosales' neck during a Wednesday morning ceremony. He then whispered words of comfort in her ear.
Rosales was among several family members who attended the ceremony to accept the posthumous honor dedicated to Alexia Rosales, her 22-year-old daughter.
“There’s no mistaking and no disputing at (sic) that children are alive today and will grow up ... because of the actions of one of our heroes today,” Salazar said while presenting the award.
Alexia Rosales is credited with saving the lives of children at ExcellED Montessori School near Boerne before she died at the school in December 2024.
She was a teacher at the school, watching over children in the playground six days before Christmas when a driver in the parking lot lost control of her vehicle and backed into another parked car.
Both vehicles then plowed through a wrought iron fence, striking Rosales and some of the children.
Five preschoolers were injured. One of them, 1-year-old Mkaya Amrani, later died from her injuries.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said it is still investigating the crash.
On Wednesday, Alexia Rosales is being celebrated as a hero.
“We are very proud,” Berenice Rosales said while holding back tears. “We are so proud of her.”
Berenice Rosales described Alexia as a happy person who loved working with children. Because of that, she wasn’t surprised by what her daughter did to protect them.
Still, Berenice Rosales said, her family continues to struggle with her loss.
“The pain doesn’t go away, but it does get better,” Berenice Rosales said.
These days, Berenice said, she looks for small signs of comfort.
During the awards ceremony, Berenice and her daughter, Jaylene, clung to rosary beads that featured Alexia’s photo.
Since Alexia Rosales died, Berenice said she has also been regularly visited by a red cardinal, which she sees as a sign of her daughter’s presence.
“The days that it seems I need her the most, that I miss her the most, that I want her the most, a red cardinal comes to my backyard,” Berenice Rosales said. “I do talk to it.”
The honor for her daughter, she said, is bittersweet.
On one hand, the mother of three said she is extremely proud of Alexia. On the other hand, she said she misses her daughter every day.
The family also thanked people throughout the community for the outpouring of love they received.
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