McKalex Alexander

My great-uncle moved about the outskirts of our family gatherings with matted hair, tattered, unwashed clothing and smelling of poor hygiene. A vet suffering from PTSD and unchecked mental disabilities, much of my family ignored his existence; however, his mother, my great grandmother, was a beacon of light for him, and in a strange way, for me, too: she refused to allow him to fade completely into the shadows; she continued to care and work with him despite her limited knowledge in dealing with mental disabilities. Inspired to help heal people who can’t fix their situation alone, my life’s vocation became clear: earn a medical degree in psychiatry to make accessible high-quality care, support, and education to people and families dealing with mental disabilities within disadvantaged communities.

Society is only as strong as its weakest link, and when we search outside ourselves for strength, we have found our greatest weakness. We must re-build our communities from the inside out to ensure each member is able to contribute meaningfully. As a trained psychiatrist, I will identify and diagnose the key issues that plague patients and their families in proper context, in a timely fashion to prescribe treatment plans that will help people re-gain flow in their lives. Moreover, I will grow family members’ understanding, patience and compassion via education and clear, committed guidance on how to navigate the very difficult journey. I will re-connect families and society through restoring hope; offering a hand to pull “the lost” back into the fold to live with purpose.

Once I complete my undergraduate studies, I plan to enroll in medical school at Baylor University in Waco, TX.

`Sewing (making my own clothes from patterns or just free-styling, combining multiple parts of old clothes to make a new piece)
`Painting using different media
`Playing basketball at the rec with my sisters and "pick-up" teams
`Assisting elderly people with acclimating to technology