We Are APS: Alexius Douglas

Sometimes, a simple question can change the direction of your life. For Frederick Douglass High School senior, Alexius Douglas, the question “What do you want to do with your life?” sparked a new flame.

“My ninth and tenth grade years were rough,” Alexius said. “Honestly, I just didn’t care about school, but after winter break during my sophomore year, my counselor asked me what did I want to do with my life. That question shook me. I had never thought about life after high school. I knew I had potential and if I really wanted to do my work, I could make it happen. I also knew I didn’t want to live with my family for the rest of my life. From that week forward, I attended all of my classes with the purpose of doing well.”

Overtime, Alexius began to excel in the classroom. By the time she became a junior, she began to make 80% and above in all of her classes and was reporting straight A’s by senior year.

Before her academic success, Alexius had created a cycle of failing classes repeatedly and simply not working at all in class. To date, she has been accepted into three colleges: Livingston College, Paine College and Albany State University. 

In the fall, Alexius will become the first in her family to attend college and will pursue a career in nursing.

“Graduating from high school is my biggest goal so far, and I don’t want to stop. I want to graduate from college too,” she said.

When asked who motivates her, she notes her grandmother as a key role model, but she credits herself for being her top motivator.

“I motivate myself,” she said. “I write down my intentions now because I don’t want to back track. I never knew how important college was and never dreamed of graduating  with my class because I was so behind. From this experience I’ve learned that you have to push yourself and never give up.”

Atlanta Public Schools will host high school commencement exercises Saturday, May 18 – Friday, May 24, 2019. All ceremonies — except Atlanta Classical Academy and Charles R. Drew Charter School — will be held at Georgia Institute of Technology, McCamish Pavilion,965 Fowler Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. For more information on commencement exercises, go to www.atlantapublicschools.us/gradnation.

We Are APS highlights APS visionaries (parents, students, teachers, principals, support staff, community members, partners, etc.), who exemplify our vision of a high-performing school district where students love to learn, educators inspire, families engage, and the community trusts the system. To recommend an APS visionary for a We Are APS feature, contact your communications liaison or email apscommunicationsoffice@gmail.com.