A 28-year-old lady named Alexis Hawkins who was expelled from high school at the age of 15 has defied all odds to successfully earn a Law degree at Howard University, United States.

Alexis Hawkins was expelled from Ballou High School in Southeast Washington, D.C at the age of 15 because she was involved in a neighborhood fight with 20 other girls.According to BOTWC, she was an excellent student but she grew up in a very rough area. Alexis spent years in the foster care system due to an unstable home life.

She mentioned that friends from her neighborhood were her refuge and they bonded together, protecting each other against all vices. “We band together for protection. We fight out of loyalty and friendship, right or wrong,” Hawkins said.

”The result is just more trauma that goes unaddressed. It saddens me because…some of my friends have been the victims of homicide. A lot of us are living in poverty and come from homes that are not always supportive,” she added.

After her expulsion, Alexis was out of school for six months before she decided to continue with her education. She enrolled in the Woodland Job Corps Center in Laurel, Maryland, where she earned a General Educational Development (GED).

She proceeded to Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, and bagged a Criminal Justice degree. When she finished her undergraduate degree, Hawkins went on to attend Howard Law School.

“I just had to keep believing in myself, stay focused, and not give up on my goals,” she said. Alexis credits an anti-violence group based in D.C. co-founded by Ronald Moten and Jahar Abraham who taught and advised her not to fight but to channel the spirit to stop racism.

After she graduated, she worked as a legal assistant at the D.C. Superior Court before being encouraged to pursue law school by Judge Sherri Beatty-Arthur. Alexis said her plan is to get a job as a clerk at the D.C. Superior Court and work her way up to become a public defender and later a judge.

She added that her mission is to fight systemic racism from the inside out and help other Black girls find their way, just like others helped her.

“Although my accomplishments are rare for where I came from, I will work to make sure that is not the case for long. I want girls like me to have even more opportunities than I had, even more support, and I will always be reaching back, giving back, and pulling them forward,” Hawkins said.