Originally published on January 31, 2025.
As Syracuse High’s 2020 Valedictorian, Alexa chose Southern Utah University following her first campus tour. Alexa’s fourth great-grandparents helped build the Branch Normal School in the 1890s and with many family members attending the University through the years since, she is proud to be the first of her cousins to graduate from the Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ.
Graduating with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies—emphasizing Women and Gender Studies and Spanish—Alexa was also the 2024 student of the year for her College.
At Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ, Alexa learned to trust her gut, build strong relationships, and to be open to new experiences. One such experience was working with Kolob Canyon Review, an art and literary journal created by Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ students, to publish two of her poems and an essay, an experience she recommends for all Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ students.
Studying abroad in Peru and the relationships that she built with her professors are what helped Alexa to build connections and support, she says. These experiences are also what showed her what she can do with her degree in interdisciplinary studies.
“I was not one of those kids that always knew what they wanted to do. I did always have a passion for learning, which was fostered by the interdisciplinary program at Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ,” Alexa says. “It was there that I became a Spanish Tutor and discovered my desire to share language!”
She is now pursuing a master’s degree in Spanish at the University of Oregon, and teaches Level 1 Spanish classes as a part of the program. Alexa also volunteered and built a lasting relationship with a refugee resettlement agency in Salem, Oregon.
“This has brought so much joy and fulfillment into, not only my life, but those around me as well,” Alexa says.
While planning her upcoming wedding, Alexa also finds time to snowboard, having first learned how in an introductory class at Â鶹¹û¶³ÊÓƵ.
