Meet Alexis Walker ‘19, an RMU alum who was recently named one of the Pittsburgh Business Times 30 under 30 award recipients.

“When I found out I was named to the 30 under 30 list, I was shocked because I’m not from Pittsburgh,” Walker said, “Part of my journey to Pittsburgh was specifically for RMU and it blossomed into a variety of other things–just to be able to make this list and to be in a community with so many other young change-makers in the City is an overwhelming and exciting feeling because, now, I have a network I can rely on of people who are working at big companies, enacting change… it was just really nice to be recognized for this and to tell my story and the work we do for youth in the City of Pittsburgh.”

Alexis has been working for the City of Pittsburgh for about a year now. Last May, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey appointed Alexis as the City of Pittsburgh’s Education Coordinator. Prior to that, Alexis served as a Program Manager and Director of GirlGov Programs for the Women and Girls Foundation, which is a youth civic engagement program that teaches young women about social justice, advocacy, and helps them develop into young leaders.

“...A lot of that interest was sparked from my community engagement that started while on Robert Morris’s campus,” Walker said, “Going out and getting involved in different political campaigns, hosting debates, or registering students to vote–because we can’t be civically engaged if we aren’t registered to vote–but all of that was encompassing of the things I was learning and things that I’m so passionate about, while coming here at just 18 and being able to take it to different levels.”

Alexis began her undergraduate studies at RMU at the apex of the 2016 Presidential Election.

“...In the fall, within the first month of being on campus, my friends and I organized a political science club,” Walker said, “We wanted to create this club because the major was new and we felt that we needed an outlet to come together, in a nonpartisan way, to inspire people to get involved on campus. From there, we went on to host the Senatorial Debate for the State and host student-led marches in Oakland all within our first semester… but we were a part of the new age of voters that made up a lot of the voting population, so we wanted to get people out and engaged civically with that…”

From then until she graduated in 2019, Alexis began participating in campus events and clubs and was civically engaged with RMU’s community.

“In the Fall and Spring of 2016, I started to think a little bit more about what I wanted to do long-term, especially having learned so much in just one semester of being on campus,” Walker said, “I found this program called New Leadership and it is a part of the Pennsylvania Civics for Women in Politics, which was an opportunity I found through RMU and has connected me to the City of Pittsburgh more deeply. While I was there, I was in a community with at least 50 other young women, who were equally as passionate about politics, advocacy, and civic engagement as I was and it was so nice to be able to learn…”

One Spring Break, Alexis was a part of a team that organized an event in which current President Joe Biden was able to come to campus.

“All I know is that it was Spring Break in 2018 and that was a huge year for the State Legislature… Conor Lamb was running and I had done a lot of work on his campaign as he recruited myself and some of my friends for summer work,” Walker said, “We stayed in touch, then when Spring Break came, they contacted me and said, ‘We need a space to host a rally for Conor Lamb,’ and, next thing I knew, they say, ‘Hey Alexis, can you help us organize this?’ and I was like, ‘What? Joe Biden’s coming?’ And it just went from there…”

Alexis used her connections at RMU to get an internship in Washington D.C. with the Washington Center, a non-profit organization that provides immersive internships and academic seminars to students from hundreds of colleges and universities and young professionals from across the U.S. and more than twenty-five countries.

“I had an internship in D.C., which changed my perspective on so much–being on the Hill and through the Washington Center to get another outlet of support and connections from Robert Morris…” Walker said, “I knew I wasn’t going to the Washington Center if I wasn’t going to have a Hill internship, so they made sure to get me that internship, which, for me, was huge because as a young black woman, I wanted to be in an office where representation was something that I could see… it was so nice to be able to make these connections, at a federal level, and it was nice to have Robert Morris’s support as they helped me navigate the resources I needed to be successful while in D.C.”

Alexis attributes much of her career readiness and professional development to Robert Morris. She believes RMU allowed her to build connections and blossom in her profession.

“I could walk into a room and our Lieutenant Governor will recognize me and part of the reason he recognizes me and knows me on a first name basis is because I was a 20-year-old student organizing at Robert Morris,” Walker said, “I think a lot of that also stemmed from being bold, having conversations, and interviews… Those small skills that people don’t take as seriously are the ones that we need… I wanted to keep going to everything because I wanted to make a name for myself–I’m a first-generation student, so I didn’t have a person to guide me. I knew that if I was coming [to RMU], then I wanted it to be great, and I’m happy that Robert Morris was a university that helped me become great, too.”

Before Alexis began working for the City, she was a teacher at Teach for America in Cleveland. Her teaching career made her realize she wanted to do more–now she is the City of Pittsburgh’s first Education Coordinator.

“After the time I spent in Washington D.C., I knew the work I wanted to do… was going to be something that impacted education at large,” Walker said, “ I realized the impact I wanted to have in education was deeply rooted in policy and I didn’t need to go to law school to do that… after my first six months working for the City, I love what I’m doing with youth, but I want to be able to do more… I serve as a liaison for Pittsburgh Public Schools and the City of Pittsburgh, which are two different governing bodies, but also to address the systemic issues that’ve been in Pittsburgh for years, there has to be a working relationship between the two…”

Although Alexis loves being a cornerstone of youth success in Pittsburgh, there are a few other pillars of her work that she genuinely enjoys.

“I love bringing marginalized youth into the Mayor's Office and into City Hall to actually see what it’s like because a lot of young people have never had conversations with elected officials, or understand the electoral process and how it shapes some of the City of Pittsburgh,” Walker said, “I love when they ask so many questions and the lights are bright and shining–it’s such a great experience… I love when I get the chance to do those tours or when I get to talk more about civic orientation… that’s definitely one of my favorite things...”

Although Alexis is now a role model for Pittsburgh’s youth, her time at Robert Morris wasn’t all that long ago.

“...One of the biggest things I am going to always remember is the relationships I got to build while on campus with professors, staff, and peers,” Walker said, “Those relationships hold so much value to this day–I could call Dr. Crawley about anything and, even if she didn’t answer right then, she’s going to get back to me and will always support me... I remember during my first tour, I said to myself, ‘I can see myself going here–I feel safe here–I feel valued.’ Even on the tour, just seeing a potential professor, asking them questions, then remembering me on the first day of class, ‘Alexis, my good friend from Baltimore,’ is a moment I am never going to forget…”

Finally, Alexis has two pieces of advice for soon-to-be and future RMU alumni.

“Remember to give back,” Walker said, “Even if it’s small, find ways to volunteer your time–I love coming and getting invited on campus to sit in or speak because the small community the RMU fosters is something that is so incredibly important to me… I wouldn’t have been able to finish Robert Morris without the support of alumni and other generous donors… I love the RMU Day of Giving because it reminds me of why I went to Robert Morris and why this school means so much to me. Also, just keep going. Robert Morris is a special place and I think it takes a student to attend Robert Morris to really understand why it’s so special from the many traditions we have to hearing Tucci sing… I just love what Robert Morris did for me and the opportunities I’ve been able to have because of it."