Molly Kennedy, chair of the San Mateo County Transit District’s Citizen Advisory Committee, recently was honored with the “Life Without Limits” Award from United Cerebral Palsy. The award was presented to Kennedy at the organization’s national conference in Orlando.

San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill, who submitted a letter of support for Kennedy said, “The title of the award really describes Molly.”

Kennedy grew up in Southern California, the youngest of seven children of a doctor and a nurse. Because of their medical background, Kennedy said her parents took her disability in stride. “They didn’t see me as having a serious problem,” said Kennedy. Kennedy attended school along with her siblings and after graduation decided to go away to college. “I figured if I ever wanted to get out on my own, college was the perfect way,” said Kennedy. When she started at Notre Dame de Namur University, Kennedy said her dubious parents had a bet that she wouldn’t last a week.

A typical college freshman, Kennedy tested her wings right away. “The first week I was here, I ventured out on my own and caught a bus at Ralston and El Camino.” It was to be a bus ride that opened up a new world for Kennedy. “I knew right away I could get anywhere on my own using SamTrans.”

After graduation, Kennedy decided to stay in the area for the same reason – the good transportation system. She took a SamTrans bus to her first job with the San Mateo County Aging and Disabilities Program. Today, sixteen years later, Kennedy is the director of the Health Care for the Homeless Program, administering a $1.4 million budget. The program serves 6,000 clients through seven programs, providing primary health care, dental care and behavioral health services.

Kennedy’s commitment to public transportation has developed along with her professional skills. She has served on SamTrans’ Americans with Disabilities task force and is in her second term as chair of the CAC. Kennedy has focused the committee on the larger issues facing the transit district. “I still think we have a terrific transit system,” said Kennedy. “The challenge for us will be to keep our superb service while dealing with a financial deficit.”

Although she has come a long way since she took her first ride on SamTrans, Kennedy is still a regular rider. “I never took the bus on my own when I lived in Southern California,” she said. “It was too daunting. But I felt comfortable and very at ease the first time I took a SamTrans bus. It was one of the most independent feelings I ever had and I still feel that way.”