Alexa was 16 when she originally wrote and published this children’s book in 2008 while pursuing her high school education. She attended Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island where she graduated with a degree in psychology and a minor in biology. During her time there she competed as an NCAA athlete in field hockey and track and field. She also showed horses in IHSA collegiate equestrian competitions. She graduated with Chi Alpha Sigma honors and was all-conference academic. As a member of the AmeriCorps she completed over 1,000 hours of community service while in college earning her the Segal Education award, Peter Antone Service award, and the Meghan E. Strathman award (among others) for inspiring many initiatives on campus including the University’s first annual mental health awareness day. She was named 2012 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents representing over six million students. Alexa was selected because of her civic engagement that set an example for others. Alexa was an EMT who volunteered saving lives and responding to 1,500 plus calls in service with many accolades. That inspired her to earn a degree in nursing at Long Island University where she graduated with Omicron Delta Kappa honors. She is a Registered Nurse who loves working in ambulatory surgery. Her most recent accomplishment was starting the 1st field hockey league in the USA for athletes with disabilities.