Name: Alexandra “Alex” Rojo
Age: 20
Major: Graphic Design
Class: Sophomore (Class of 2018)
Relationship Status: In a relationship
What advice would you give to young girls?
“Listen. I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn’t get better. You get better.” –Joan Rivers
How do you define “beautiful”?
Beautiful is someone who believes in acceptance and personal meditation. They see the flaws in others as well as in themselves and are willing to accept and see the uniqueness in them. Beautiful is an adjective used to describe someone with an appetite for personal growth and a sense of compassion toward humanity and community. Beauty builds upon the relationships between others in addition to an interpersonal relationship between the body, mind, and soul of the individual. Beauty is not hesitating to help carry a friend or stranger’s baggage and expecting nothing in return.
Who was the best female role model for you when growing up and why?
I lived under a “rock” (my parent’s roof) for most of my childhood, where watching TV was uncommon, so my favorite female role model does not come from social media, however she is an actress. My Puerto Rican/Cuban hippie of a mother taught me how to find my voice in a rowdy house of four children. Not only that, but she helped me find my own creative voice as well. She taught me the most valuable lessons every young girl should know about self worth, acceptance, positivity, trust, selflessness, unconditional love, patience, development, priority, money, health (and the list goes on forever). It’s safe to say that my mother is my best friend, therapist, boyfriend, personal assistant, teacher, and sometimes boss. (Thank you mama!)
What’s the best thing about being a woman in your opinion?
The best thing about being a woman is our hormones. As much as we hate them, especially during that time of the month, I believe they have allowed us to establish a strong sense of emotional understanding and maturity. We are maternal because of this and this is a quality that is restricted solely to women, which I feel all women should embrace.
What’s one challenge you’ve faced as a woman? How did you combat it?
One challenge I’ve faced as a woman is not being taken seriously. Men, and sometimes other women, are not accustomed to the idea of women having their own opinions and defending them. This often times causes frustration, angry sighs, eye rolls, and impatience amongst many people. This is something I have experienced and witnessed.
What’s one stereotype about females that you want to counteract?
One challenge I’ve faced as a woman is automatically being labeled as shy, reserved, timid, quiet, submissive, etc. Although they aren’t necessarily all bad qualities, I don’t agree with the negative connotation of women as being weak or incapable. An example of this (perhaps the most cliché example) is the submissive gender role of the female character in the book and movie Fifty Shades of Grey.
Why do you #LoveYourself?
I love myself because I am me and nobody else in this entire world is me. I am the art that I make, the food that I eat, the color I decide to change my hair to, the clothes that I wear, the way in which I take care of my body, the voice that comes out of my mouth, and the breaths that I take. We all live and experience the world differently and I couldn’t be happier with the way in which I am living and experiencing mine.