Girl Power: Alexis Jones

Whether she is navigating the mangroves of Micronesia as a contestant on a reality TV show, or encouraging girls and young women to nurture their self esteem while negotiating the pitfalls, paradoxes and perils of today’s image-obsessed social jungle, alumna Alexis Jones knows what it takes to be a survivor — both literally and metaphorically.

Since 2008, the media personality and activist has empowered a generation of young women through her nonprofit organization, I AM THAT GIRL, inspiring them to love themselves unconditionally.

A self-described Texas tomboy and sports junkie, Jones used the media interest around her participation as a contestant on the 16th season of the CBS competitive reality television series Survivor to launch I AM THAT GIRL.

“I was excited about using a reality TV show to expedite the process of building a personal brand,” she said. “I’ve always been passionate about using media as a vehicle to empower and educate, and USC Dornsife prepared me to use nontraditional means to achieve success.”

Amid growing national concern over sexual assault of young women, this year she turned her attention to instilling in young men the importance of respecting the girls and women in their lives by launching her “ProtectHer: Redefining #Manhood” speaking tour in locker rooms across the country.

Jones grew up in Austin, Texas, with four older brothers. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from USC Dornsife in 2005 followed by a master’s in communication management from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in 2006. She has worked at Fox Sports and ESPN and was cast as a life coach for the MTV reality show MADE — an offer that sprang from her inspirational speaking role at I AM THAT GIRL.

“When I speak in schools, I hear some awful things, about eating disorders and self-harm — things that girls have never told anyone because they don’t feel safe,” said Jones, who has spent the last seven years speaking to more than 250,000 girls in person, and millions more online, regarding self-esteem, bullying, leadership, activism, and social entrepreneurism.

Often those talks address survival tactics, among them how to stay afloat in a sea of self-doubt.

“A girl’s physical, emotional and mental well-being is rooted in her self-worth,” Jones said. “I AM THAT GIRL exists to transform self-doubt into self-love and inspire that in others.”

Her book I Am That Girl (Evolve Publishing, 2014) provides a how-to guide for doing just that.

“Business is easy. I can put together financial and communication plans in my sleep. But asking people the hard questions in life — if they really love themselves, and if they’re happy — that’s tough,” Jones said.

In 2011, she was invited to the White House for the 100-year anniversary of International Women’s Day. There she met Michelle Obama.

After giving the first lady her card and suggesting that her group co-host an event at the White House, Jones got a call from Obama’s assistant, saying the first lady was impressed with her bravado and wanted to invite her back.

Jones returned to the White House to discuss a media initiative she created to examine media impact on girls.

“We live in a world that teaches us from a very young age that our self-worth is commensurate with our physical attractiveness. In that very dangerous paradigm, girls are not taught to love themselves unconditionally. Instead, we are held up against unattainable expectations of beauty.”

This insecurity has been exacerbated by a multibillion dollar beauty and fashion industry with its digitally altered images, Jones said. That problem is compounded further by social media, with its focus on posting highlights of our lives, and — in worst-case scenarios — cyberbullying.

“Girls aren’t talking about what is really going on in their lives, or the pressure they are under,” Jones said. “We are bred to create this idealized façade, but beneath the surface we’re all too scared to admit our insecurities.”

Paradoxically, despite her own — apparently limitless — self-confidence, Jones is no stranger to insecurity.

“One of my greatest struggles as a student was thinking I had to do things to deserve love, rather than believing I am intrinsically worthy of it,” she said.

She cites Steven Lamy, professor of international relations and vice dean for academic programs, as her greatest influence at USC Dornsife.

“I don’t think I would have the courage or confidence to do what I’ve done in my life if he hadn’t poured all that faith into me,” she said.

Also, in her sophomore year, Jones experienced two life-changing events.

First, she landed a role in a campus production of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues, which got her excited about girls’ and women’s issues.

Then, she won a three-year gig hosting a USC television show about the celebrity red carpet, Doing It for Reel, enabling her to get an inside look at the entertainment industry and build some powerful relationships.

“Both events testify to the caliber of USC, which provides not only the theoretical education, but the opportunity to tackle new experiences and step outside your comfort zone,” she said.

A Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority member, Jones started I AM THAT GIRL at USC so young women could discuss issues they struggled with, whether pressure at school, relationship problems or body image.

She began holding weekly meetings at which young women undergraduates could talk about what really mattered in their lives. Six showed up to the first meeting, but soon hundreds were attending.

“That’s when it dawned on me that there was a real lack of community for girls. And maybe there was a need to create a community for girls at other universities, too — spaces where young women could be courageous enough to be vulnerable,” Jones said.

“We’re all starving for that message of unconditional love, and being given permission to feel insecure and scared is so powerful for all of us.”

Jones, who sees the digital revolution as both the culprit and the solution, acknowledges the irony.

“In today’s world, media is the most powerful tool to influence how a girl defines herself. Through our website and social media, we’re providing tangible tools and resources with an interactive curriculum to teach girls emotional intelligence, professional skills and personal development.”

Jones said her education at USC Dornsife taught her to think outside the box and be a creative, innovative leader. “Now I’m considered a ‘thought leader’ in the media world. I literally have to pinch myself sometimes because I’m actually living out my dreams.”

Read more stories from USC Dornsife Magazine‘s Fall 2015-Winter 2016 issue >>