Alexis Trell

Business administration major Alexis Trell, ’15, built on her strengths by maximizing the opportunities available at Meredith.

“Meredith provided me with countless ways to build on my knowledge with experience outside the classroom – internships, jobs, research, leadership positions,” Alexis said. “Each one provided me with a chance to grow and develop into a strong, capable leader.”

One of the leadership positions Alexis held is president of the Class of 2015 since her sophomore year. Being class president is something she would not have imagined in high school.

“Within just one year, Meredith provided me with the confidence I needed to consider putting myself out there for this role,” Alexis said. “This experience provided me with so many skills – communication, event planning, and teamwork. It has provided me with countless relationships with my classmates that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Alexis participated in Leadership Triangle’s college program during her sophomore year and presented an annual workshop on confident leadership for Meredith’s High School Leadership Conference. She earned membership in Silver Shield honorary leadership society, and in three academic honor societies.

While at Meredith, Alexis became interested in development and nonprofit fundraising. Opportunities in the College’s Division of Institutional Advancement helped her gain skills in her future field.

“I was hired to work Phonathon, which led to becoming a student ambassador, which led to two additional internships within [Institutional Advancement]. They never treated me like I was just a student,” Alexis said. “I was able to travel with them all over North Carolina to visit with donors and attend alumnae events. Because of them, I have applicable experiences to put on my resume in addition to many memories.”

Her senior honors thesis on charitable giving by family foundations also allowed her to explore her interests.

“I was able to speak with Meredith donors about their giving strategies, in addition to extensively studying private foundations and researching the history of charitable giving in the U.S.,” Alexis said. “This was a great opportunity to delve into something that I am passionate about and that will be useful in my career.”

Presenting the results of her research during Celebrating Student Achievement Day is an important memory for Alexis. “I had been working on the project for over a year. It was great to finally see my hard work pay off,” she said.

Many of Meredith’s Institutional Advancement staff attended the presentation. “These are the types of personal touches that have made my Meredith experience amazing.”

All of her hard work has paid off for Alexis, who will begin a new job in the development field after graduation.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to combine my Meredith business education with my passion for nonprofit organizations and philanthropy,” Alexis said.