Graduate Spotlight: Lexis Lokko '17

Lexis Lokko, a recent Tufts graduate, is striving to make a difference in people’s lives. “I  realized that I can have a bigger impact than I thought.” 

That’s why she’s been ramping up her involvement in a variety of programs. Last year, she interned at Harvard 
T.H. Chan School of Public Health and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  “As a community health major, those internships helped me to learn different things about serving the community.” 

During the Harvard internship, Lexis researched free school meals across the United States. “My job was to look at the costs and benefits, including health and education outcomes.” Her experience at Brigham was more hands-on. “I led weekly discussions with ninth and tenth graders on different public health topics, such as health disparities, food insecurity, and homelessness. I did a lot of research to make sure the information was specific to Boston, where the kids lived.”

Lexis is currently a peer leader at the college’s Africana Center, leading retreats and hosting events for incoming Black freshmen. “I also meet with my mentees once a month to let them know what’s happening on campus, inform them of job opportunities, and just check in. I see so much of myself in them.”
She has also served as Class of 2025 Senator for Tufts Community Union Senate, the main governing body 
for undergraduate students. “It was great to spend a year advocating for students,” she says. “I loved being able to make sure their voices were heard.” 

All of Lexis’ experiences have helped fuel her ambitions for the future. “I’m going to work for a year after Tufts, then I’ll go to graduate school for a master’s in public health. My internships have given me so much knowledge, and working in an area related to public health will give me even more.” 

She’s looking forward to using the added career experience toward success in her graduate studies – a determination she gained at a young age. “Harlem Academy is where I learned how to work diligently to attain the academic excellence I strive for.”