As the University of Missouri-St. Louis celebrates its 60-year anniversary, ten alumni, including Roxane May, have been recognized for their achievements and contributions to society.
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The Empowerment Network’s own, Roxane May, joins a distinguished list of 60 alumni from the University of Missouri-St. Louis as the university celebrates 60 years (1963-1923) as an institute of higher learning.
The honorees are among a group of alumni who have demonstrated excellence in applying the university’s core values of – trust, access, innovation, success, inclusion, and engagement – in their diverse careers to enhance the society we all live in. Roxane is the wife and caregiver of prostate cancer survivor, Earl May. She is also a member of TEN’s “Think Tank Team” which is instrumental in the planning and execution of various events of TEN, among them being the 2023 Gala, the 2022 Top Golf Fundraiser.
Below is the write-up from UMSL.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis is proud of the economic and philanthropic reach of its programs and partnerships, but it’s the people UMSL most wants to honor as it celebrate its 60th anniversary. Throughout the year of celebration, UMSL will be spotlighting 60 alumni who apply one or more of the university’s core values in the world and help to make it a better place. This month’s honorees are Nameera Fatima, Scott Leisler, Roxane May, Sherry Nelson Thomas and Vince Schoemehl.
Roxane May is living proof that a university experience can shape an entire future. Roxane, who was born and raised in St. Louis, is a first-generation college graduate who worked her way through school and graduated from UMSL when she was nearly 40 years old. She met her soon-to-be best friend and future husband along the way. Soon after tying the knot while still a student, she realized that married life would ultimately lead to a career, although she may not have envisioned at the time how it would ultimately grow. “After we got married in 1993, Earl decided to take on a small hustle – cutting grass, outside of working at United Parcel Service,” she said. “This turned into May Lawn Care, and at that moment, I knew our
personal tax return was now a business tax return.”
To handle the new business’ IRS filings, Roxane took the beginning tax class at H&R Block, then worked for the company for a year before striking out on her own. Roxane started by handling the tax returns of family and friends. Then, after earning a degree in accounting in 2000, she started adding additional streams of income in bookkeeping and payroll processing while working a full-time job and raising two children. Since those early days, her business has been rebranded as Reliable Accounting, growing to seven employees, 30 payroll clients, 15 bookkeeping clients and more than 350 personal and corporate tax returns.
When she’s not crunching the numbers, Roxane is pounding the pavement in her running shoes, riding the air as a skydiver and parasailer and hanging on for a ride on the zip line. The Empowerment Network’s own, Roxane May, joins a distinguished list of 60 alumni from the University of Missouri St. Louis as the university celebrates 60 years (1963-1923) as an institute of higher learning.
The honorees are among a group of alumni who have demonstrated excellence in applying the university’s core values of – trust, access, innovation, success, inclusion, and engagement – in their diverse careers to enhance the society we all live in. Roxane is the wife and caregiver of prostate cancer survivor, Earl May. She is also a member of TEN’s “Think Tank Team” which is instrumental in the planning and execution of various events of TEN, among them being the 2023 Gala, the 2022 Top Golf Fundraiser.
Below is the write-up from UMSL.
The University of Missouri-St. Louis is proud of the economic and philanthropic reach of its programs and partnerships, but it’s the people UMSL most wants to honor as it celebrate its 60th anniversary. Throughout the year of celebration, UMSL will be spotlighting 60 alumni who apply one or more of the university’s core values in the world and help to make it a better place.
This month’s honorees are Nameera Fatima, Scott Leisler, Roxane May, Sherry Nelson Thomas and Vince Schoemehl. Roxane May is living proof that a university experience can shape an entire future. Roxane, who was born and raised in St. Louis, is a first-generation college graduate who worked her way through school and graduated from UMSL when she was nearly 40 years old. She met her soon-to-be best friend and future husband along the way. Soon after tying the knot while still a student, she realized that married life would ultimately lead to a career, although she may not have envisioned at the time how it would ultimately grow.
“After we got married in 1993, Earl decided to take on a small hustle – cutting grass, outside of working at United Parcel Service,” she said. “This turned into May Lawn Care, and at that moment, I knew our personal tax return was now a business tax return.”
Roxane May
“The education I received and community I experienced at University of Missouri – St. Louis made all the difference as I prepared for my life journey.” To handle the new business’ IRS filings, Roxane took the beginning tax class at H&R Block, then worked for the company for a year before striking out on her own. Roxane started by handling the tax returns of family and friends. Then, after earning a degree in accounting in 2000, she started adding additional streams of income in bookkeeping and payroll processing while working a full-time job and raising two children. Since those early days, her business has been rebranded as Reliable Accounting, growing to seven employees, 30 payroll clients, 15 bookkeeping clients and more than 350 personal and corporate tax returns.
When she’s not crunching the numbers, Roxane is pounding the pavement in her running shoes, riding the air as a skydiver and parasailer and hanging on for a ride on the zip line.