Three Words: Community, Community, Community

Jul 16

Alexis Homeku was always a gifted student, but when she came to the United States from Ghana, she realized that the most important lesson she would ever learn had nothing to do with the curriculum.

That learning curve began as she literally touched down into a new world – not completely unknown to her but entirely unfamiliar as a lived experience. She could understand the language but not the rhythms of life. She could navigate the rules, but the traditions were all new.

At 18, alone, she boarded a plane from Ghana to JFK. Her life was contained in two suitcases heavy with what she carried, and heavier with what she left behind.

She remembers the moment the plane descended into New York City, her first glimpse of a life that would challenge and change her in ways she couldn’t yet imagine. After landing and reuniting with her father, he pulled her aside with quiet urgency and said, "In this country, you will have to cut down on the times you say, ‘yes, please’ because people will look down on you and want to take advantage of you.” Even politeness that came naturally in her previous world could be seen in this new world as a kind of subservience. This was one of her first experiences of culture shock, an early lesson on how perception could dictate outcomes.

This all happened in 2017, when Alexis left Ghana on her own to reunite with her family in the United States, in search of greater opportunities. There were many things she could not bring with her, things that don’t fit in a suitcase - such as the warmth of familiarity, the unspoken understanding of home, the grace and ease of belonging. Those would have to be found again. Back home, community wasn’t a question, it was a given, woven into daily life. In the United States., that certainty faded, at least initially.

Finding Identity in a New World

At first, she clung to the familiar, joining the African Student Association, where shared experiences made the transition feel less lonely. But as she settled in, she became acutely aware of something she had never needed to think about before: her Blackness. Where once this was simply a shared fact of everyday life, in this new world, it was a defining marker, shaping perceptions, opportunities, and access in ways for which she could never have fully prepared.

People of color, especially women, she came to understand, face some of the highest barriers in professional spaces. Thriving required more than just intelligence or ambition, it also meant finding the right networks, the right mentors, and the right doors to knock on. She sought out first-generation student groups that helped bridge gaps for students navigating higher education alone, connecting with professors who became critical mentors. These relationships didn’t just offer support, they opened pathways she wouldn’t have found on her own.

Alexis earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021, majoring in Legal Studies with a minor in Philosophy. After college, she volunteered as an AmeriCorps Legal Advocate of Massachusetts (ALA-MA), where she saw firsthand the disconnect between minority communities in desperate need of legal resources and the barriers preventing them from accessing aid. This experience reinforced her commitment to effecting meaningful change in the legal field by bridging that gap.

The Power of Community

Now a student at Northeastern University School of Law, Alexis is pursuing her Juris Doctor with the goal of advocating for those who have historically been shut out of the legal system. ‘When asked, ‘Why law?’ my answer is always, ‘Why not law?” she says.

For Alexis, law school wasn’t just about academics; it was about legacy. Her grandfather, a military man devoted to justice and discipline, had instilled in her a deep respect for structure and service. Studying law was a tribute to him, but also a way of carving out her own place in a system that wasn’t built for people like her. But more than that, Alexis saw the law as a superpower. Something malleable, something that could be wielded in service of those who needed it most.

The road to law school was anything but smooth. As a first-generation student, she had no blueprint. No one in her immediate circle had done this before. It was a maze. LSAT prep, applications, the pressure of high expectations. The stress nearly broke her. The most important lessons were not necessarily academic. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned in law school? Three words. Community. Community. Community” she says.

Success is built on networks, on the people who vouch for you, who pull you into rooms you never thought you’d enter. Once Alexis understood that, she leaned in. She stopped trying to do it all alone.

Working as an AmeriCorps Legal Advocate showed her firsthand how marginalized communities struggle with access to legal resources. She worked primarily in Elder Law, drafting wills and power of attorney documents. Helping people secure autonomy over their lives. The work was deeply rewarding, reinforcing her belief that legal advocacy wasn’t just about cases; it was about people.

For women of color, especially those carving their own paths in demanding fields, the barriers are real. But Alexis has learned that the right people, the ones who believe in you, who push you, who remind you that you belong, can make all the difference.

Alexis is a huge advocate for SheBuilds International. As a current law student, she joined SheBuilds to help bridge the gap between experienced professionals and emerging talent, fostering connections, creating opportunities, and making meaningful change.

Her advice? Take your time. There’s no rush. If you need a gap year, take it. It’s not a race. Find mentors. Ask questions. And when it feels impossible, seek solace and practical help from your community. For no one makes it alone. And no one should have to.

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Merit Brent