Welcome to Woman Crush Wednesday with Katie and Harley, where every other week we interview a member of our chapter of Her Campus to highlight why they are awesome.
This week, Lexi Marking, Editorial Contributor!
Photo Courtesy of Lexi Marking
Major: Political Science and Global Studies
Minor: Economics
Hometown: Plattsburgh, New York
Top 5 Songs: “Broadripple is Burning” by Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s
“Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac
“Pool” by Paramore
“Come Back to Earth” by Mac Miller
“Vertigo” by Khalid Zodiac
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Member Since: 2019
Lexi is part of the LEAP Program here at Hofstra and intends to go to law school after finishing her undergrad. After that, she hopes to possibly work for the United Nations and “maybe save the world somehow.” She also volunteers for the Hempstead High School Tutoring Initiative Program, a long-time Hofstra collaboration with Hempstead High School. Originally, Lexi was there to specialize in English and history, but soon realized she had to be ready to help with any subject because of how the program was run on a first come, first served basis. “Our main goal is just to help them. Even if we don’t know the material, just help them work through the problems. Just showing up regularly helps the kids a lot because of the fact that they come from such a rough school district. It’s like creating a bond with somebody who desperately needs a bond.” For more information on the HHSI program, you can email hofstra.hhsi@gmail.com.
Not only is Lexi a great tutor, but she’s also a fantastic salesperson! Lexi has worked at Journeys for the past three and a half years, which may be part of the reason why she currently owns 75 pairs of shoes. Back home in Plattsburgh, Lexi would have the best numbers in her entire district and is the only employee there to win Employee of the Month. Her manager even wants to give her her own store to manage, but Lexi’s main focus right now is to finish school. In our opinion, Lexi basically invented selling shoes.
Do you know the show “Queer Eye?” Lexi sure does! She recently binge-watched season three and is now working on “queer eye-ing” herself. “I went home for break, I realized how unhealthy my habits had been becoming, and I came back and I was like, ‘I’m gonna queer-eye myself. I’m going to start going to the gym, I’m going to take showers on a regular basis, I’m gonna sleep.’”
Lexi is unfortunately well-versed in the idea of being an all too busy student and is certainly no stranger to danger in this sense. Once while driving to visit her boyfriend, Lexi accidentally hit a patch of black ice on the road and slid off into a ravine. Lexi described this experience as “the scariest thing to ever happen to (her).” Lexi thankfully is well now, but her experience did allow her to shed light and insight on what she finds to be a real problem here on campus. Lexi learned through her terrifying experience that some of the professors on campus are maybe not as compassionate as they should be. “I had a couple of professors who were like ‘I’ll see you Monday. I hope the work is done,’” completely disregarding the fact that Lexi had just experienced severe trauma. Thankfully, Lexi did have “two professors (who) were so understanding” and who were very considerate of her after the accident.
Lexi is also adopted! She often refers to this as her “golden ticket.” Inheriting three sisters through her adoption, and still being with her biological mother, Lexi has used her experience to grow into a more open and loving person. Making light of her experience by using humor to embrace her adoption, Lexi doesn’t use her adoption as a crutch as much as she uses it to allow her to lift herself up in life. Lexi told us that her sisters and her father “took her in,” truly making her one of their own. “I think of my dad as my real dad. I think of my sisters as my real sisters.” Holding her dad to very high regard, Lexi told us, “My dad is awesome. He’s like the best man ever.”
Lexi uses her adoption as a way to frame all of her experiences. “It does not matter who gave birth to you. It matters who treats you with respect,” and Lexi carries this idea with her wherever she goes. Valuing people who treat her with respect first, she allows herself to open up to others with love and compassion and really knows how to let people into her life.
As for Lexi’s more personal life, she has a boyfriend of three years now, and unfortunately, they live seven hours apart from each other. Despite the distance, however, the two of them make it work through Facetime, texting, and healthy, open communication. Although they are in love, Lexi has a powerful sense of insight not only on her relationship but one that extends to her life as well. Lexi acknowledges that although she is in love, long distance can be a hard thing to deal with sometimes, and sometimes things aren’t always the smoothest. Nonetheless, she believes that just because sometimes things are hard, this doesn’t mean that you have to or should give up.
Photo courtesy of Lexi Marking
We loved getting to know Lexi more and we hope you all did too! Come back in two weeks to get a deeper dive into another member of Her Campus Hofstra!