She stands outside of Crown Commons in the Student Union Monday- Friday swiping card after card. The students and staff know her by the name on her nametag, Miss Rosa, but there is much more to this cashier than can be expressed by a piece of plastic. Rosa E. Stephens is a mother, Christian, friend, traveler, counselor and dreamer.

On Aug. 5, 1948 Elizabeth Curry delivered baby Rosa in Good Samaritan Hospital in Charlotte, NC. Her stepfather was Hecker Curry, but Rosa knows him as Dad. “I had a beautiful childhood,” she said, “I was an only child and very spoiled.” Mrs. Curry was a stay at home mother while Mr. Curry worked at the local mill.

As part of the first African American class to enter Urban Avenue Junior High, Rosa knows first hand what segregation can do to a community. She finds inspiration in knowing that, what her generation did not get right, this generation can. Looking around the campus at all the different races mingled together in natural harmony gives her hope.

Rosa dropped out of West Charlotte High School her senior year and, although she feels she missed her calling to be a teacher, she does not feel that she has to be validated by a diploma or a degree. Teaching is where her heart is and, despite not have a college degree or a class room, she has wisdom and a university campus.

For 22 years she worked for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools as a baker, driver and site manager. After leaving CMS, she spent nine years with Thomas Children Development Center and one year as kitchen manager at Thomas Children Home. She was laid off in what she refers to as “getting rid of the old people” and took a sabbatical.  At the end of her year-and-a-half vacation, Rosa applied for a cashier position with Chartwells Food Services on UNC Charlotte’s campus because she felt it was where the Lord wanted her.

Rosa finds joy in the youth the students bring to her everyday. She respects them as young adults and wants to be there for them when they call on her. “If I’m on campus or in the grocery store and a student sees me, they’re like ‘Miss Rosa, Miss Rosa,’” she said, “I’ve had babies tell me ‘Miss Rosa, my grandfather is in the hospital, can you pray?’”

Tyra Stephens is the daughter of Rosa and, although she is an only child, she recognizes that her mother has adopted many of the students as her own. “I would like to tell all my brothers and sisters on campus that she is a great mother and I am willing share her,” Tyra said.

Rosa has a passion for young adults because she too has been young. As a Sunday school teacher at Mayfield Missionary Baptist for ages18-35, Rosa siad she “gives it to them straight.” At 61 years of age, she has experienced hardships that, she believes have deepened her relationship with God. “Life can be hard if you fight it; you have to mellow out and live it,” she said.

In 1978, Rosa was in a car accident that sent her head through the windshield. While reminiscing on those eight days she was in the hospital, she repeated, “My face, my face!” She remembers having looked like a mummy rapped in bandages from the neck up with only her nose and eyes exposed. The accident forced her look at the lifestyle she was living. “At the time I was not being wild, it was just something that made me really focus on where I was going with my life,” Rosa said.

Albeit she is a strong believer in God and follows his word as closely she can, she does not parade her beliefs around at work or in front of the students. “I don’t sit with a cross around my neck or carry the Bible under my arm,” Rosa said, “but I allow God’s presence to be there when I talk with them and I want them to know that I am there for them.”

She does not want to be seen as an up-tight Christian. To her, being a Christian does not mean you have to live your life cooped up not having fun. She loves to travel and socialize with her girlfriends. Her life is so consumed with activities such as sing in the quire, traveling to visit family and fulfilling her duties as trustee for the church that she has to make herself stay home and rest.

Rosa can appreciate a fine wine and sees nothing wrong with an occasional social drink. “If I’m at a wedding and their serving Champaign well, Miss Rosa is going to have herself a glass of Champaign,” she said.

Her age does not slow her down or hold her back. All of her life she has surrounded herself with young people who have kept her spirits high and her heart youthful. The scares from the accident are barely noticeable behind the smile that she wears everyday. “You know Miss Tiffany, I’ve been thinking about getting me a tattoo, just a little cross right here on my ankle,” Miss Rosa said.
 

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2 comments

Ricky T.

Tue Sep 22 2009 09:14

These are the kinds of mistakes that prove that nobody reads over this paper before it goes to print, and then nobody reads it over before they post it online. Idiots.

It's too bad, because this was a good article. But an error that terrible ruins the whole thing. Keep on writing, Tiffany, because you have talent. But be sure to read over your work a couple of times before submitting it. Having a friend read it over can help catch mistakes that you might miss. Meanwhile for your copyeditors, it's "Charlotte-Mecklenburg" and when abbreviated, North Carolina should be N.C.

Curt

Tue Sep 22 2009 08:21

"Her life is so consumed with activities such as sing in the quire..."

'Quire'??? Really? Tiff, girl, come on. I don't even go to church (something I'm not necessarily proud of) and even I know its CHOIR. Also it is 'singing'

Why use a whole ass when you can half ass it right?

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