Violeta America Rosales Maldonado

Violeta America Rosales Maldonado, 31 years old, of Lake Jackson, Texas, passed away to the presence of the Lord in a vehicular accident in Clute, Texas, the evening of Sunday, January 19, 2020. America was a native resident of Brazoria County, and had lived in Chicago, Illinois and Cairo, Egypt.

Friends and family from Brazoria County are invited to join a memorial service and reception on Saturday, January 25, 2020, at 4:00 pm at 2nd Baptist Church located at 1817 Shanks Rd. in Angleton, Texas. Pastor Tom Flores will preside the service.

Violeta America's remains will be buried on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Salcajá, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, jointly with her brother and grandparents. For those in the area or who wish to join the family, there will be a service to celebrate America's life at 10:00 am in Ballroom La Villa, Salcajá Convention Center, followed by the burial at the Salcajá Cemetery, and a reception.

America was born on July 6, 1988, in Angleton, Texas, to Roger Rosales II and Violeta Maldonado Marek. She attended Brazosport ISD schools, and expressed that the beginning of her path of knowledge started at Bess Brannen. America graduated summa cum laude from Brazoswood High School. She received her Bachelor's degree with honors in Latin American Studies with Minors in Spanish and Arabic/Middle Eastern Studies from DePaul University in Chicago, and was a McNair Scholar. She was a Master's candidate in Global Affairs and International Security at The American University in Cairo. As part of her professional achievements, she was a recipient of the prestigious J. William Fulbright Scholarship from the U.S. Department of State/IIE and was also recognized as 40 Under 40 Latinos in Foreign Policy by the "Huffington Post." She worked at the Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and recently was selected as the Young Professional state-wide representative. She also brought many smiles to the customers she served at a local establishment in downtown Lake Jackson.

America was a lifelong member of Primera Iglesia Bautista de Clute and was saved and baptized at the age of 8. She was a person with deep passion for her family, women's empowerment and was a trailblazer for Hispanics in the United States with her educational accomplishments and global endeavors to the Middle East. America served as a mentor to many young people through leadership programs and captivated others with her unique sense of love and free spirit she provided all whom she met. She was a lover of music, culture, language, dogs, academic excellence and traveled to over 30 countries across North and Latin America, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Her life motto was to "put riches into my thoughts, and not my thoughts on riches," Sor Juana Inéz de la Cruz, 1669.

She is survived by her mother, father, brother, sister, nephews, all of Brazoria County, Texas, and by many members of her extended family in the United States and Guatemala. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the SPCA or provide a donation to the family for an academic scholarship in her name for Brazoswood High School.