JTC 26: Rewriting the Story She Told Herself

When Alexandra James first stepped onto campus at the University of Mississippi at DeSoto Center-Southaven, she didn’t expect to stay.

“I came here on a whim,” James said. “I never thought they would let me in. When they said yes, I said yes.”

That moment marked the beginning of a journey she once believed wasn’t possible.

James, a senior social work major from Horn Lake, graduates in May after a path that began far from a traditional classroom. She dropped out of high school in 10th grade and earned her GED in her mid-20s. For years, she carried the belief that college wasn’t for her.

“I assumed that I was not intelligent enough to attain a college degree,” she said.

Still, she enrolled, cautiously and without a long-term plan.

“I thought, ‘I will do this until I flunk out or they ask me not to come back,’” James said. “I was not much of a planner before attending college. Now I have goals.”

That shift didn’t happen overnight. Like many adult learners, the hardest part wasn’t coursework. It was changing how she saw herself.

Through her work-study role and daily interactions on campus, James found herself surrounded by supportive faculty and staff who saw something in her she had not yet recognized.

James recalled one conversation where she described her colleagues at the DeSoto campus as “smart and talented and amazing.” She was stopped mid-sentence.

“You realize, you are one of those women as well,” she recalled being told.

“I was floored,” she said. “It helped me change the way I think.”

That growing confidence reached a turning point during an Outreach Day event, when James was asked to share her story publicly, a moment she considers one of the most meaningful of her life.

“When I was done speaking, I was shocked by the response,” she said. “My son yelled, ‘That’s my mom!’ and Daniel Christian yelled, ‘That’s my work study!’

“Dr. Holifield-Scott looked at me with so much emotion and pride; we both almost broke down. Outside of my children, it stands as one of the most meaningful days of my life.”

“Alex James is a powerful example of determination and heart,” said April Holifield-Scott, director of the university's DeSoto and Grenada regional campuses. “She balanced her responsibilities as a student worker and leader while overcoming obstacles to earn her degree.

"Now, she carries a story that will inspire the very people she is called to serve.”

Daniel Christian, coordinator of admissions at the DeSoto campus, said James has made a lasting impact on campus.

“Alex leaves a legacy of academic achievement, leadership and service at UM-DeSoto,” Christian said. “I have no doubt that as she begins her dual journey of starting her social work career and entering graduate school, she will continue to build a legacy of impacting those around her and changing lives for the better.”

Experiences like that have reshaped not only her confidence, but her purpose.

After spending 20 years working in the restaurant industry, James returned to school determined to build a different future, one that would allow her to better support her family and make a broader impact.

She is setting her sights on a career in social work, with a particular interest in working alongside law enforcement to support people in crisis.

“The little idea is to help people in their vulnerable moments by connecting them to the resources they need,” she said. “The big idea is to fight social injustice on a systemic level.”

James hopes to gain firsthand experience in the field and eventually advocate for policy changes that better serve communities.

“I want to learn what happens day-to-day so that one day I can stand up and show lawmakers how their policies affect the people they are supposed to be helping,” she said. “It is some pretty lofty talk, but I like to shoot for the moon. If I fall short, I will still have accomplished something.”

As she prepares to walk across the Commencement stage, James says her greatest motivation has always been her children.

“I want them to be in this world pursuing the things that bring them joy,” she said.

Her journey, she hopes, shows them — and others — that it’s never too late to begin again.

“It does not matter what age you are,” James said. “There is still time.”

Top: Alexandra James, a social work graduate from Horn Lake, graduates in May after earning her GED and spending two decades in the restaurant industry before returning to school to pursue her dream of serving others and fighting social injustice. Submitted photo