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| Almost all of the fans who starred in the sixteenth edition of Survivor, aptly titled Fans vs. Favorites, have become celebrities since the show’s hit run on CBS this past spring. Set in tropical Micronesia, Survivor treated us to a grand helping of returning favorites playing against some of their biggest fans. Of all the new faces on the show, one shined brighter than the others. Alexis Jones was that girl. And what a girl she is! Alexis already had a resume that sparkled before she joined the Survivor cast. From traveling the world on grand adventures, to winning the Showcase Showdown on The Price Is Right, Alexis had what it took to go far in the game. Although sidelined on the show by a leg injury, she hasn’t stopped going either. I was keen to catch up with Alexis after the big Survivor finale in May. She has this indescribable something about her that attracts people. It’s a combination of her inner energy, her outer beauty, and an ambition that refuses to be denied. Currently heading up a new web magazine called I Am That Girl, devoted to helping young women everywhere realize their potential without buying into all the hoopla they see in the media, Alexis is busier than ever, but she graciously made time to chat with me. I made a new friend in the process as well. Alexis is someone I’m proud to host here. She has a glow about her that absolutely sparkles. |
| Alexis Jones She Is That Girl |
| Carey Parrish |
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| CP: Alexis, thanks for spending some time with me. AJ: Of course! It’s an honor. I appreciate it very much. Thank you for asking me. CP: It’s my pleasure. So what have you been up to since the big Survivor finale? AJ: You know, on the actual day of the finale, we launched IAmThatGirl.com. I’m very excited about it. CP: Tell me about the new venture. AJ: It’s an empowerment magazine for girls. What I wanted to do was provide something that is rich, savvy, and very Cosmopolitan like…but the catch is that it’s by girls, for girls. I had this dream of creating something for girls everywhere. Something that could be beneficial to them as they grow and become women in their own right. There are so many things in the media these days showing girls in either impossible or implausible situations, and the surge toward having that perfect body is not at all healthy for young women to see all the time. Girls need to define beauty for themselves. So my goal with the new web magazine is to create an interactive forum for girls where they can share their own stories and find strength through others just like themselves. It’s a very interactive forum; kind of like a MySpace/Facebook combo. I think it’s very 21st Century and also I believe this is the direction that magazines are going in. CP: What kind of a response have you been getting from IAmThatGirl.com? AJ: The response has been incredible so far! It’s been very surprising, in fact. Survivor was a blessing for me in terms of getting this launched. We advertised for summer interns and two hundred plus girls responded in the first day and a half. We’ve had girls from all backgrounds apply, even some from ivy league schools, and the girls have just flocked to this project. This is an awesome mission and I think an awesome thing to be a part of. CP: What is your message with this project? AJ: I think it’s mainly to do something that you’re passionate about. The byproduct of doing something you’re passionate about is to see a dream come true. I would never have fathomed the amount of support that is out there for something like this. There are just so many incredible female role models. I say lets promote them and inspire girls to dream big instead of just hearing about the latest Hollywood bad girl missteps. Having worked with girls for a long time, this is something I felt there was a real need for and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I wasn’t the only one who felt like this. CP: This sounds like something that could very well spread outside of the internet world. AJ: That sounds great! In fact, I’ve already been having some conversations with people about possibly hosting a show about this same thing. I would love to use TV as a medium to get out there and reach girls to empower them. I was also approached recently by a man who asked me to do something for fathers raising girls in today’s world. I think this is a great idea because there are so many parents out there who have daughters who would like to get involved. I’m also working on a book for I Am That Girl and I’ve been approached by a publishing company in my hometown of Austin, Texas about releasing it when it’s complete. CP: You mentioned earlier that Survivor helped you get started on this project. AJ: Survivor provided me with a outlet and a platform to reach people that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. CP: We have to talk a little about Survivor. How long had you been a fan of the show? AJ: Since the very first one. I saw the very first episode and my brothers were with me. They are the ones who really pushed me to try out for the show. CP: Did you have any idea that you’d be competing against returning favorites from past seasons? AJ: We had no clue. We knew something was up but we weren’t privy to any behind-the-scenes deals that were going on. Pulling up to the beach when we got there was just incredible. There were like sixty to seventy cameras and there were always like a hundred people at everything we did. I was star struck just by all that. Then when they started bringing out the faves, it was just great. Very surprising and very exciting! CP: Do you have any specific memories of your Survivor experience that you’d like to share? AJ: You know, this is something that didn’t get aired a lot, but late at night, laying on the sand and trying to sleep, with so many strangers that you were suddenly learning to rely on and depend on and trust, and all the talking we did during those late nights as we tried to get some sleep, that was just a special experience that is difficult to describe. It was kind of like being at summer camp when I was a kid. Getting to know all these different people was a great thing about the show. I just kept pinching myself to make sure I was really there. I was making friends for life out there and that is an indescribable thing. CP: You suffered a pretty serious leg injury on the show. Have you recovered from that? AJ: Yes, sir. I was on crutches for a while and I went through a lot of physical rehabilitation, but I’m just fine now. CP: And what’s next for you, Alexis? AJ: I’m just so excited about building the momentum of I Am That Girl. I hope to accomplish some great things with this project. There is just so much promise to it! |
| All photos used are courtesy Of Alexis Jones |
| CP: Okay…Now a few nosy questions for your fans: Married/Single/Divorced/Involved? AJ: Single. Although I am dating someone right now. CP: Do you have any children? AJ: (Laughing.) Oh goodness no! CP: What are your hobbies? AJ: I love spending time with my family and friends. I also love movies and college football. I’m a big football fan! I also like the idea of causing a revolution. I just love that! CP: Who are your heroes? AJ: My mother, first and foremost. She’s an amazing woman. Also, Amelia Earhart. Bryce Dallas Howard is a very dear friend of mine and I am so inspired by her character. CP: Favorite food? AJ: Barbeque. I’m a Texas girl! CP: Favorite movie? AJ: Good Will Hunting. CP: Favorite place? AJ: Brazil. CP: What advice or wisdom have you learned that you can share here? AJ: Appreciate the things you have instead of focusing on the things you don’t. This is a huge lesson I learned on Survivor. Also, my motto in life is Dream Big! There is no reason not to be the author of your own life. You have no limitations. Start by believing in yourself. CP: What are you most proud of? AJ: My ability to dream big. I am fearless in my dreaming. I back it up, too. Lots of people talk big but they never act on their dreams. Don’t believe in luck. Go out and make your dreams happen. I’ve always done this. Like I always wanted to be on The Price Is Right and win the Showcase Showdown. I told everybody I knew I was going to do it and I did. Now, when I say I’m going to do something, people don’t doubt me. CP: Alexis, thank you so much for giving me such a great interview. AJ: You are quite welcome. I really enjoyed it. |
| Alexis Jones is an amazing young woman. She really is that girl. She embodies everything she hopes to achieve in life and she isn’t letting anything stop her from achieving her goals. I was struck by her determination and her enthusiasm when I saw her on Survivor, and now after talking with her and becoming excited by her plans and her present endeavors, I can honestly say that I’m one of her biggest fans. Alexis has what it takes to make whatever she wants to do into a reality and she easily became one of the country’s favorite fans on Survivor. It’s no mystery how she did this either. This lady is formidable in her ability to sail whatever course she charts for herself. I hope she keeps letting us all go along for the ride. Alexis’ Links: www.iamthatgirl.com & www.alexisjones.com |
