Alexandria has a deeply-rooted passion for genetics and biology that she attributes to her PKU: it spurred her interest in the medical field and pushed her to excel. Throughout her upbrining, Alexandria faced many uncertainties, but felt that her PKU was a constant — while she at times struggled to maintain her diet and keep her levels in range, once she did so, she found success in both her community engagement and academics. Her extracurricular work with student political organizations, Earth Club, and Knights of Columbus have helped her develop her leadership skills. Alexandria will begin her college career as a psychology major in the fall of 2020 at the University of South Carolina, hoping to be able to give back to the community that fostered her health and mental strength as she grew up with PKU.