Pregnant and Parenting Students

Thinking back to her childhood in Barbados, Alexis Primo remembers herself as introverted and introspective. She didn’t have many friends her age, leaving time to ponder deep thoughts. "I've been trying to figure out my purpose since I was 10,” she said. “I would lay down and look at the sky and look at the clouds and just think about it." Now a child development major at San Diego State University, Primo still isn’t sure exactly what her future holds. But her purpose is no longer a mystery. In fact, she’s already living it. Primo is taking five courses at SDSU all while pursuing an additional associate degree in philosophy at San Diego Mesa College. She also serves her fellow students at the SDSU Women's Resource Center (WRC), leading its Pregnant and Parenting Students Initiative. Outside of school, Primo is a devoted mother of two who makes ends meet as an academic grader. She is also a community organizer for the San Diego chapter of Parent Voices, a statewide nonprofit that empowers parents — particularly those receiving government assistance — to become self advocates. She’s passionate about the work, because she’s walked in the shoes of the people she supports.