Profile: Alexis Grias
Meet Alexis Grias
Q & A Session with the Prince George High School Class of 2016 Graduate
Were you involved in any extracurriculars while a student at Prince George High School?
I was very involved in extracurriculars during my time at Prince George High School. I was an active member of SGA, and often assisted with preparations for committee events throughout the school years. Even when I was not a member during my senior year, I would still come to help prepare for activities, such as homecoming and spirit week. I was also a member of the German Club and Beta Club during my time at PGHS. My favorite time of year was always spirit weeks, and I would get so excited to decorate the walls of the cafeteria and dress up for the spirit days. I think my favorite memory was when our class theme was Las Vegas, and I got to dress up as Elvis Presley.
I was very involved in extracurriculars during my time at Prince George High School. I was an active member of SGA, and often assisted with preparations for committee events throughout the school years. Even when I was not a member during my senior year, I would still come to help prepare for activities, such as homecoming and spirit week. I was also a member of the German Club and Beta Club during my time at PGHS. My favorite time of year was always spirit weeks, and I would get so excited to decorate the walls of the cafeteria and dress up for the spirit days. I think my favorite memory was when our class theme was Las Vegas, and I got to dress up as Elvis Presley.
Where did your journey take you after graduating high school & where are you in life now?
After graduating from PGHS, I continued studying at Richard Bland College of William and Mary until I graduated with my Associate's in 2017. I then transferred to James Madison University, where I received my Bachelor's in Psychology and graduated summa cum laude. After graduation, I received a job offer from George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C., where I worked as a mental health technician on a psychiatric unit.
After several months, I left my job and my family to move to Japan to work as an English teacher for a year. It was extremely difficult, especially with a pandemic hitting only two months into me moving there, but I enjoyed every moment of it and am waiting for the day where I can once again visit that wonderful country. After returning to the states, I decided to continue pursuing higher education and started my Master's program in Psychology so that I can later pursue a Doctorate.
While enrolled in online courses, I now work full-time for a company called Intercept Health. We provide TDT counseling services to many schools in the area, including Prince George County, where I am currently working. I service some amazing kids at David A. Harrison Elementary School and help them set and achieve goals so that they can become the best versions of themselves possible. The staff and kids are so warm and inviting here that I truly feel like I am a part of the Harrison Bears family.
When you reflect on your time as a student, is there a teacher or staff member who made a lasting impact on you?
While I enjoyed working with a lot of the wonderful teachers employed throughout Prince George County, one, in particular, has left a lasting impact on me, even after all this time: Mr. Nelson Britt. Junior year of high school, I had Mr. Britt for both History and Economics class, and those two classes were always the highlights of my day. While I am not a fan of economics, Mr. Britt always made the class fun and enjoyable to be in. He would crack jokes and poke fun at us in a playful manner. The casual conversations we had together were something that you don't normally get from a teacher. I could always trust him to keep his word and to be honest with me, even if it was something I didn't want to hear. He was supportive of every student and always went above and beyond to make sure everyone had the necessary tools for success. We still keep in touch through social media, and I always love seeing his funny and supportive comments on my life's journey. Mr. Britt felt a lot like a second father to me, and I will always remember him and the fun times we had together during 11th grade.
Do you have a special memory of your time as a PGCPS student?
While this might seem silly, one of the best and most lasting memories I have of my time at PGHS was during driver's education classes. I was lucky enough to be learning how to drive at the exact same time as one of my best friends, Lauren. We got paired together during the manual driving part and would always have a blast. I would do a quick morning greeting to the other drivers over the walkie (before the instructor got up to the tower), and we would all laugh about it together. There are plenty of selfies in my phone of us together in that car (while it was parked, of course) that I look back on fondly. Learning to drive can be really scary for those who have never done it before, but it was definitely more fun when I got to do it with my best friend.
Finally, what is your message to the next generation of Prince George High School graduates who have and soon will be embarking on the next step of their life's journey?
Like I recently told my brother, who just graduated and went off to college, JUST DO IT. You want to move 5,000 miles away to a new country you don't know the language of? DO IT. You want to go on a trip with your friends with only $50 in your bank account? GO. You have always dreamed of being a Broadway star, but no one believes you can do it? PROVE THEM WRONG. Don't be held down by the beliefs and doubts of yourself and others; you are so much stronger than you know. It took me a long time to learn this, but things will always work out. It might not seem like it in that moment, but trust yourself, as well as the process.
There is more to this world than simply living, so go out and do whatever makes you happy!