Alexia Nechayev from Miami, Florida, is passionate about advocating for youth with lived experience in foster care or homelessness. Having been placed in foster care as a teenager, Alexia initially knew of the negative stigma surrounding the system, and sadly, her own experiences confirmed those fears. Throughout her time in care, she faced the challenge of navigating a system that did not support her ability to advocate for herself, as she was unaware of her rights.

Now a graduate of Florida International University with a B.A. in Psychology, Alexia is applying to law schools, driven by her desire to make a difference. She is committed to ensuring that youth in foster care do not have to endure the same struggles she faced.

Believing that “every youth deserves the power to advocate for themselves,” Alexia channels her passion into her role as the Events and Meetings Chair for Florida Youth SHINE (FYS). In this position, her main goal is to reach as many people as possible and create a supportive environment for her peers to collaborate on creating meaningful change.

Beyond her work with FYS, Alexia is dedicated to educating communities about the real, human experiences of youth in foster care and homelessness. She advocates for the importance of informing society about the challenges these youth face and ensuring they understand that their voices are powerful. She firmly believes that advocacy, education, and consistency are the only way to drive lasting change.

In her free time, Alexia enjoys being in nature and meditating. She lives by the motto: “Remember the blue sky. It may at times be obscured by clouds, but it is always there.” – Andy Puddicombe. Through the Congressional Leadership Academy, she hopes to grow as an advocate and will apply what she learns to her future legal career.