Link recently caught up with Dr. Keisha Mack ’84 who truly lives a life following Link’s Core Value of “caring for others” by giving back to her community. Upon graduating from Link, Keisha attended Mt. St. Dominic Academy and continued on to Howard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, followed by a Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology. After her time at Howard, Keisha continued her education at The George Washington University, earning a Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology. Keisha, a licensed clinical psychologist, has used her education to give back to others.
As a founding partner of The MECCA Group, LLC, a private psychological and rehabilitative services consulting firm in Washington D.C., Keisha and her partner have focused on providing care to under served youth and families who live in D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Inspiration for the company came during Keisha’s time as a post-doctoral clinician in Washington, D.C., where she and her colleagues acknowledged the need to better serve minorities and under served youth within the area. Recognizing this, they took matters into their own hands and formed the company which works with charter schools, the majority of which serve youth of color, to provide care to students with special needs whose mental health needs might be otherwise overlooked or not adequately met. They use a holistic approach to counseling and behavior support, which emphasizes the importance of accounting for one’s individual culture and cultural identity. Former Link teacher Ms. Kathy Rehack, a language arts instructor, helped Keisha see the importance of this early on. Keisha said Ms. Rehack was one of her favorite teachers at Link in part because of how sensitive and aware she was of the importance of respecting the cultural backgrounds of her students. In particular, Keisha fondly recalls when Ms. Rehack, a white teacher, taught the Black National Anthem (Lift Every Voice and Sing) in sign language to her class.
Along with giving back to the community in her professional life, Keisha also serves others in her personal time. As an active member of the charity Twelve Days of Christmas, Incorporated , where she currently serves as Parliamentarian on the National Board, Keisha helps provide Christmas presents and school supplies for underprivileged children in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In addition to this, Keisha also sits on the Board of Directors for the Williams Franklin Foundation which gives students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) academic scholarships as well as mentoring and internship opportunities. Finally, she is also a very active member of the Howard University Alumni Club of Greater Washington DC, where she has served as vice president, supporting students attending Howard University through programming and scholarships.
When asked what part Link played in all of her success Keisha responded, “Link instilled the idea that I could do whatever I wanted, and that college and beyond was not a choice; it was a given.” Furthermore, Keisha said Link not only provided her with an environment which encouraged her to become her best self but also gave her the tools and support to do so. Through Link, Keisha participated in programs, such as the Prudential After School Enrichment Program, where she was exposed to different cultures and opportunities that made her want to grow as a person by embracing all the world had to offer. In addition to all this, Keisha emphasized. “Link was more than a school; it was a community – a “safe haven” in a tough area where you always felt supported.” It is for this reason that when Keisha meets up with her two lifelong friends, Monique Outerbridge and Crystal Fedd Tolliver, whom she met on her first day at Link, they still recite the Link cheer, “Linker! So proud to be a Linker! So proud to be a L-I-N-K-E-R!”
