Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosa Mack. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Rosa thought she would be gone for a weekend (since evacuating is a consistent routine in the Southern states); however, Dr. Rosa could not return to New Orleans to even access the damages to her home for over a month due to a total loss. Rosa evacuated with her family to Houston, only packing enough clothes for three days (thinking the storm would pass and they would return home after the weekend), thankful she remembered to pack all of their important documents (birth cert, social security cards), and jewelry but saddened for the loss of childhood photos, heirlooms, and all of their other valuables. Rosa was too prideful to ask for help but remembers immediately enrolling her children into school and began her job hunt to avoid a loss in finances. (Much more to this story, phone or email interviews available for additional information/ questions).
Overcoming Hurricane Katrina Barriers
Dr. Rosa had a very difficult time securing a full-time position in Houston due to many business owners fearing the returning home of evacuees to New Orleans after the city reopened, but after several months was able to secure a full-time teaching position with the largest school district in Houston. Next, Dr. Rosa pulled herself up by the bootstraps, stepped out on faith, took matters in her own hands and started her own tax accounting business. After working full-time for several years and getting her accounting business off the ground, she decided to take her professional career to the next level and enrolled into the University of Houston’s College of Education Doctoral Program. Enrolled in July of 2018 and completed the doctoral program in December 2021 (finished the 4-year curriculum and instruction program in three years).
So now, employed as a college professor teaching education majors literacy courses, as well as balancing her own accounting business, Dr. Rosa combines both education and entrepreneurship by teaching others how to open their own income tax business, as well as teaches an annual financial literacy courses to other entrepreneurs on how to balance their books, maintain accurate financial business records, assists others how to build business credit, and more. Dr. Rosa has recently started a trucking business that she is launching at the end of this year and now considers herself a serial entrepreneur.
Career Highlights
*Mastered some of the best classroom management techniques after teaching in some of New Orleans toughest neighborhood schools for five years.
*Was recruited by Johns Hopkins University to travel across the US to teach high school educators a research-based reading program to assist low-level readers in advancing reading levels.
*After 14 years of teaching, decided it was time to take her career to the next level and impact more students and teachers and applied to the University of Houston’s Doctoral Program in 2018.
*Doctoral graduate 2021 from the University of Houston and now is a professor of education at the University of Houston specializing in literacy and reading instruction.
*Advocate of using social education and popular culture in literacy education and teaching students through culture and context.
Entrepreneur of:
*Owner of The Tax Queens, Tax Accounting Service in 2012
*President of her women’s organization, Queens Unite Org in 2019
*Started Big Ro Express in 2022 (Trucking)
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have struggled with maintaining employees. Once you train others and they learn the business, they want to step out and start their own business in the same field, which is a great thing; however, it’s best to have employees sign a non-compete agreement for a minimum of three years, agreeing to not provide service to any of your current clients and after the three years to not do business within 10 miles of your business. It’s difficult to maintain loyal, consistent help over several years in the income tax business because sooner or later, everyone will want to grow and venture out on their own, and as a good employer, you can’t hold anyone back. It’s not easy transitioning to another city and living away from your family and childhood friends. Starting over isn’t easy, but learning how to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and remaining focused on your goals are skills necessary for success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Additional Quotes: “What I hear from my students and teacher candidates that resonates with me is that students find power in seeing themselves in my courses, and teachers find power in being seen and heard when we talk about professional development. I aim to elevate one’s cultural context in my courses, and there’s power in that. I can resonate with the power of cultural context when I watched the 2022 Superbowl halftime show. It was in that moment that I too felt seen and heard. Yes, it’s entertainment in a halftime show, but it made me feel a part of it, it made me feel a part of this major event that’s seen all over the world while watching Kendrick Lamar and some of the best old-school hip hop artist and recognizing how powerful it is to use popular culture in literacy in literacy development, and also thinking about what does that look like in teacher education, and in professional development sessions. As an educator, I like to think about how do I get my students to connect with the content and become motivated? How do we use this in the classroom to ensure student success? Making sure that regardless of what a person’s demographic background is, making sure they feel seen and heard and upon seeing these success stories in various cultures can relate, and these concepts become tangible in education when others see themselves, so I take this information and similar concepts and apply them daily as I prepare teachers for the classroom.”
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me the most is ensuring others feel connected and see in all aspects of my profession. Whether it’s in the K-12 classroom, the college classroom of pre-service teachers, professional development sessions, my income tax clients, my family and friends… I want everyone I come in contact with to feel seen and heard and connect to my lessons, my content, and the customer service I provide. I’m honored to be trusted with your accounting records, I’m honored you trust my tax advice, I’m honored you have selected me as your college professor when you chose your class schedule, and I’m honored that you chose me to provide a service to you in my business. Everyone has a choice, and it is a privilege when someone chooses me, and I don’t take that for granted, and I hope not only to meet your expectations but to also exceed them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.DrRosaMack.com
- Instagram: @TaxQueens
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Fredagho photography and Lacey Dokes of LAD Limitless
