ABOUT

I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve, I wear it on my cheek

Meet The WRITER

hi, i’m alexa jo

but my people call me Jojo, Joj, Joy-Joy, Lulu, Alexa, Lexi-loo, Lex…the list truly goes on. But no matter what you call me, I’m a writer, solo traveler, creative, mental health advocate, adventure-seeker, feminist, woman, sister, daughter, and friend. I have so much to say, and I love having a place of my own to say it. The rest of my story? Well…that’s a long story

What’s this girl about?

I’m PRO whatever the f*ck makes you happy.

Swear, get tattoos, don’t swear, don’t get tattoos. Date men, date women, date nonbinary, be nonbinary– just do what is you. Have specific pronouns? Let me know! Are you religious? Spiritual? Atheist? I’d love to hear more about what gives you a sense of meaning.

For real, people have a lot to say about other people’s identities and want to control their actions but what we sometimes forget is that everyone is just trying to find what feels most authentic to them. We love authenticity here…. Unless you are authentically racist, sexist, or a bigot. I want this to be a safe space for me as well as the community I hope to build here. Everyone is just trying to do what it takes to find their sense of happiness. Let them be.


just the fun facts

fun fact

I have a pink heart-shaped birthmark on my cheek. pssst…can you see it in my logo?

Born & Raised

Minnesota

favorite tv show to binge

New Girl & Love Island UK

Enneagram

Type 2, equally wing 1 & 3

Fav Treat

Sour Gummy Candy

I’d spend my whole paycheck on

Flights

COFFEE order

Chai Latte with Oat milk

MY HAPPY PLACE

Anywhere near the water

MY favorite Movie

Mamma Mia

Song that gets me every time

Come With Me//Surfaces

CURRENTLY READING

The Moment of Lift By: Melinda French Gates

i live by…

001.

Be Present. It’s Okay to just be.

002.

STAND UP FOR YOURSELF, OTHERS, AND WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.

003.

SPEND TIME WITH YOURSELF.

004.

Be Authentic.

005.

SHOW YOUR PEOPLE THAT YOU LOVE THEM.

006.

DO THE THINGS YOU SAY YOU’RE GOING TO DO.

007.

TRUST THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING OUT THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO.

008.

SPEAK YOUR MIND.

009.

PUT TIME INTO CREATING THINGS YOU FEEL PROUD OF.

010.

BE OPEN TO OTHERS’ PERSPECTIVES.

011.

BE GOOFY AND JOKE AROUND.

012.

Sing & dance when you feel like it.

my background

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Winona State University in 2021 with my Bachelor’s in Psychology and Communication Studies. Throughout my time there I was involved with and ran multiple research studies in both the Psychology and Communication Studies department, which I will link below. I was a member of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, Her Campus, and received a fellowship with SAI to study abroad in Florence, Italy in the spring of 2020 (yep, I got sent home.)

As a teenager, I started doing some inflective writing to process the things I had been through. I joined our high school’s newspaper club, and though it was good practice to publish my writing publicly, I quickly learned that wasn’t the type of writing I cared to do. When I got to college I wrote and published articles for Her Campus and leaned into my passion for writing. I found sharing my thoughts exhilarating and freeing. I learned that I’m comfortable sharing some more intimate details about my life and that the people who read my articles responded well to that. Whenever someone reached out to tell me one of my articles really spoke to them, I thought,

maybe this is what I’m supposed to do.

I knew I wanted to create my own space to share my writing, but because I used to commit to soooo many things, I was always too busy in college to put the time into it that I would want to (I don’t half-ass things.) Once I graduated and jumped into the world of solo traveling and starting my adult life, I knew it was time. Currently I do some project-based work for a nonprofit organization called 100 Rural Women, where I started as an intern in university. I have done a bit of social media work as well. I am passionate about social change and making people feel safe, valued, and cared about. 

Alexa Jo Schafer on Her Campus

DISCLAIMER: A few years ago, the Her Campus platform removed all photos from every article and replaced them with stock images. That being said, many of my articles are missing key elements like images and gifs and don’t necessarily make a whole lotta sense. Additionally, these are my first published works! It’s not my best writing and I know that! I’ve grown a lot since I posted there, but it’s still cool to have those in the archives : )

UNDERGRADUATE

Published

2019: Eating Behaviors and Cultural Influences on Appearance: What is The Experience of College Women?

2019: Colleague’s research I was a part of 

Not Published (but happy to discuss)

2020: Does Parental Divorce Impact A Person’s Likelihood to Become Depressed in Late Adolescence?

2020: Alone With A Phone: A Study of The Relationship Between Loneliness and Problematic Smartphone Use Among College Students

2021: Age, Conflict Management Strategy, and Relational Satisfaction: Are They Connected?

LET’S CONNECT