Alexus “Lexi” Geampa is living proof that believing in someone, recognizing their strengths and offering the right support can change a life. After graduation in June 2025, she’ll use her degree in Human Development and Family Sciences to change the lives of others.

A first-generation student from Newport, Oregon, Lexi was surrounded by adversity growing up. She says she was often the child trying to be strong through chaos and homelessness. 

“I want to use my story not as something to hide,” she says, “but as something to light the path forward. I want to look at others and say: I see you. I hear you. I understand.”

College seemed out of reach until she was introduced to the ASPIRE program in high school and to her ASPIRE mentor, Ron Brocklehurst. 

“He looked me in the eye and said, ‘Lexi, everything you’ve been through you’re going to use it someday to change lives.’ That moment planted something in me. Because Ron believed in me, I started to believe in myself. That belief carried me through. I received the Ford Family Foundation Scholarship, which made college financially possible.”

After searching through every major, she found Human Development and Family Sciences and knew she had found her place. “I remember thinking, ‘Maybe this is where I’ll finally make sense of everything I’ve lived through. Maybe this is where I’ll grow.’” 

And she did.

“I came to realize that our differences, our stories and our backgrounds are what make us powerful. HDFS teaches you how to turn those differences into tools for connection, healing and change. This major gave me space to reflect, to heal and to develop a sense of purpose. I found mentors in my professors who took time to meet with me, challenge me and remind me that I had something valuable to offer. I went to events that helped me explore who I was and what I cared about. I had the chance to do research, advocate for policy and teach in early childhood classrooms. These experiences shaped not only my path but the purpose behind it.”

She says she also met classmates who cared deeply, reflected courageously and believed in building a better world.

“What makes us, as HDFS majors, unique is that we truly see people,” she says. “We see strengths that others might overlook. We’re not afraid to ask hard questions or offer help before it’s asked for. We recognize systems of injustice and cycles of trauma, but also the potential for change. And we know this: One caring adult can foster resilience in someone who feels lost. It certainly did for me.”

One of her proudest moments at OSU was using her story to advocate for youth experiencing homelessness through leadership opportunities with the national scholarship program SchoolHouse Connection. As both a scholar and peer leader, she’s participated in national trainings, spoken at bipartisan policy summit panels, shared her lived experience in webinars with school administrators, counselors and social workers, and traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak in congressional briefings.

“My goal has always been to shine a light on hidden homelessness, the barriers students face in school, and the policy changes needed to better support them. I also advocate for mental health and FAFSA accessibility. Earning my degree in child development while participating in these advocacy efforts has helped me understand how individuals, families and government systems intersect. It’s also given me the language and framework to advocate for mentorship programs like ASPIRE, which played such a crucial role in my own journey.”

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After graduation, Lexi plans to spend the summer continuing her research through the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, where she’ll work on video coding classroom interactions for the Red Light, Purple Light project. In the fall, she’ll continue working as a teacher in the OSU Child Development Center and plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work or counseling. 

“I have so much passion for working with children, and my interests within the field are wide-ranging,” she says. “I hope to use this time in the classroom to explore where I can make the greatest impact and discover the path that will allow me to best support and advocate for youth and families.”

As a 2025 college graduation speaker, Lexi wants her fellow graduates to take away one key message: “Keep caring. Let your empathy be your strength. Be vulnerable, and you’ll find deep, meaningful connections in return. What starts with one person saying, ‘I believe in you,’ can ripple into a lifetime of impact.”