Alexia Patterson ’24, a psychology and restorative justice major with a pre-law track, aspires to be a criminal court or Supreme Court judge. Before that, she hopes to practice either environmental or family law.

I can’t complain about the world if I’m not going to try to fix it.

As a resident assistant, a member of the cheerleading team and the president of the Black Heritage Club, Alexia continues to impact the people around her. Being in these leadership positions has allowed her to create meaningful relationships with her fellow students. “I want to make people feel seen, loved, and cared about,” said Alexia. Speaking especially about her work with the Black Heritage Club, she continued, “It’s important to me that we are seen and are able to have community.”

On top of that, this year, Alexia attended a conference in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker organization committed to the advancement of peace, justice and environmental stewardship. During the conference, Alexia learned about the laws surrounding immigration and the difficulties families face when trying to navigate the process. Alexia also learned about the importance of professionalism and had the opportunity to network with various congresspeople.

Similarly, as a member of MANNRS (Minorites in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences), Alexia attended a conference last semester where she learned about the United States’s stance on various environmental issues and how different passions and skills can help improve it.

“We are the stewards of the world,” Alexia said. “We need to take care of the environment and its people. There are so many different paths and connections to better this world, and we should be doing it.” As Christians, Alexia noted, that is exactly what God calls us to do.

Before leaving Houghton, Alexia wants to gain experience for a career in law through an internship and possibly explore photography. Most importantly, she said, “I want to leave a positive lasting impact on Houghton, whether it’s on individual people, a program or my residents, that’s what I want to do. A positive experience can change someone’s life.”

Jen Page ’24 worked as a Spring ’23 student intern with Houghton University’s Marketing & Communication department, pursuing a major in English and Writing.