Alexis Jones

Last updated

Alexis Jones
Born (1983-07-06) July 6, 1983 (age 41)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
Education USC (B.A., Master's)
Occupation(s) Motivational speaker, activist, television personality, film producer
Known for Survivor: Micronesia
Spouse
​
(m. 2015)​
Website alexisjones.com

Alexis Whitney Jones (born July 6, 1983) is an American activist and motivational speaker best known for competing on the reality competition show Survivor .

Contents

Early life and education

Jones was born in Austin, Texas, and grew up there with her mother, father and four older brothers. Her parents divorced when she was young. [1] She attended Westlake High School just outside of Austin, and after graduation, she enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations as well as a Master of Communication Management degree, the latter of which was completed in only one year. [2] While at USC, she was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority (ΚΚΓ). [3] In addition, she performed in The Vagina Monologues and also worked at Fox Sports while attending college. [2] She had also interned at ESPN during her time at USC.

Career

While still an undergraduate, Jones came up with the idea for a non-profit organization called I Am That Girl, [4] whose main purpose would be to fight media-perpetuated notions of perfectionism that many young girls and women face. Upon finishing graduate school, she officially started I Am That Girl (IATG), using television appearances to promote it. [2] As of 2017, IATG has over 175 chapters around the world. [4]

In 2013, Jones organized the first TEDx Austin Women conference. [5] Since then, she has also founded an organization called ProtectHer, which started as a result of a series of speaking gigs in the locker rooms of various collegiate men's athletic programs. [6] In 2017, she introduced to college campuses a film and curriculum series through ProtectHer, in an effort to educate young student-athletes about sexual assault, and to encourage treating women with respect. [7]

Survivor

In 2007, Jones auditioned for the reality competition show Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites . Although she had missed the deadline for auditioning, she begged producers to meet with her in hopes of getting on the show that season. [2] She was ultimately cast as one of the 20 players competing on Fans vs. Favorites, which aired in the Spring of 2008.

Jones was initially placed on the Airai tribe, which consisted of ten brand new players, or "Fans;" while the opposing tribe, Malakal, consisted of ten returning players, or "Favorites". She remained on Airai even during the tribal switch on Day 12. Prior to the Day 22 merge, she became part of a Final Four alliance with fellow Fan Natalie Bolton, new Airai tribemate Parvati Shallow, and Favorite Amanda Kimmel. Favorite Cirie Fields later joined this alliance, which would come to be known as the "Black Widow Brigade".

On Day 31, Jones won the Loved Ones reward challenge, which allowed her to take a trip to Jellyfish Lake with her brother Nathan; she invited Fields and her husband, and Bolton and her mother, to come along as well. [8] Jones also got to send another castaway to Exile Island, and when Kimmel volunteered to be exiled, Jones obliged. But while she was on the reward, Kimmel found a clue on Exile Island to the whereabouts of a hidden immunity idol.

When Jones got back to camp, she and her alliance plotted to vote out Erik Reichenbach, the last male castaway remaining following the medical evacuation of James Clement earlier in the day. On Day 33, though, Reichenbach would win immunity, for the second straight time, meaning that the Black Widow Brigade would have to vote out one of its own that night. A majority of the alliance, including Jones, decided to target Kimmel after learning that she did not find the idol on Exile Island. But at Tribal Council, Kimmel surprised everyone by playing a hidden immunity idol, which cancelled all four votes against her. As it turned out, Kimmel, with the help of Shallow, found the idol after telling her alliance that she hadn't found it. The idol was hidden at camp, per Kimmel's Exile Island clue. As a result, Kimmel was safe, and since Jones received the only other two elimination votes, it was Jones who ended up being voted out in sixth place, as the fifteenth person eliminated from the game, and the fifth member of the jury.

At the Final Tribal Council, Kimmel and Shallow were the two remaining finalists. During the jury questioning, Jones asked Shallow to explain why the latter might be better suited than Kimmel to be a role model for young girls. Jones also asked Kimmel to identify a part of Kimmel's game that was genuine. In the end, Jones cast her vote for Shallow to win Sole Survivor.

Other works

Jones once served as a life coach on the MTV show MADE . [5] She has also contributed articles to the Huffington Post. In 2014, she released a book, inspired by her Web site; the book's foreword was written by her sorority sister, actress Sophia Bush. [2] Jones was also an executive producer on the documentary film A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, about fellow motivational speaker Lizzie Velásquez's struggles with body-shaming. The film had its world premiere at SXSW on March 14, 2015. [9] Six days later, Jones herself was featured on an episode of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress , where she picked out the dress for her forthcoming wedding to former University of Texas men's basketball star Brad Buckman, [10] a childhood friend whom she had known since the age of ten, and with whom she had recently reconnected.

Personal life

In 2012, Jones' father was diagnosed with cancer. Upon hearing the news, she immediately returned home to Austin to take care of him. In 2014, Jones learned that her father's cancer was in remission. [2]

While back in Austin, she had reconnected with Buckman. [2] They had attended middle school and high school together before each attending separate colleges. [11] As soon as they reconnected, Buckman confessed that he had experienced a crush on her since childhood, but had never said anything about it. [2] Soon after, they began dating. [11] On September 12, 2015, she married Buckman in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. [12]

On March 20, 2016, Jones and her mother were traveling in their car through the streets of Los Angeles, when some men in another vehicle next to them got their attention while stopped at an intersection. The women thought that these men were yelling vulgarities and making obscene gestures to them, so Jones took out her phone and snapped some pictures of the men just before they drove away from the scene. After posting these photos on Instagram, in hopes of getting someone to identify who the men were, two of them were identified as professional basketball stars Jordan Clarkson and Nick Young of the Los Angeles Lakers. [13] Once the team looked into the incident and was able to speak with Jones, Clarkson, and Young, the Lakers concluded that all parties involved had come up with "different interpretations" of what happened on the night in question. No charges or disciplinary action were brought forth, and the Lakers went on to express their continued support of the two players, while also supporting Jones' feelings over the incident; the club even praised her organization for the work it does for women. [14] Jones said that she was "inspired" by the way the Lakers responded after a team spokesperson apologized to her, and she was even invited by the club to give a speech to its players on the issue of respecting women. [13]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Clarkson</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1982)

Kelly Brianne, known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA Records. Her debut single, "A Moment Like This", topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and became the country's best-selling single of 2002. It was included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003), which entered the Billboard 200 at number one, and also yielded the top-10 single "Miss Independent". Trying to reinvent her image, Clarkson parted ways with Idol management and shifted genres to pop rock for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). Supported by four US top-ten singles–the title track, "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", and "Because of You" – Breakaway sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Diaz-Twine</span> American TV personality (born 1974)

Sandra Diaz-Twine is an American television personality who became known for her appearances on the reality game show Survivor. She won the first two seasons she appeared on, Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, making her the show's first two-time winner. She returned for Survivor's 34th season, Survivor: Game Changers, where she was the 6th person voted out. Along with fellow Survivor contestant Rob Mariano, she was a non-competing mentor on the show's 39th season Survivor: Island of the Idols, and subsequently competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, where she was the 7th person voted out and only player to leave the game at the Edge of Extinction. Diaz-Twine is regarded among fans as one of the greatest players on the show. She also competed for a 5th time on the Blood V Water edition of the Australian Version of Survivor with her daughter Nina, which premiered in Australia on January 31, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerri Manthey</span> American actress

Jerri Manthey is an American actress and television personality. She is perhaps best remembered as a polarizing figure from Survivor, on which she was a three-time contestant: she placed 8th on Survivor: The Australian Outback, she came 10th on Survivor: All-Stars, and was eliminated at the Final Four on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rupert Boneham</span> American mentor, television personality, and politician

Rupert Frederick Boneham is an American mentor for troubled teens who became known to reality television audiences in 2003 as a contestant on Survivor: Pearl Islands. He later appeared on the All Stars, Heroes vs. Villains, and Blood vs. Water seasons of Survivor, placing fourth, sixth, and 20th, respectively. He was ultimately a fan favorite among Survivor viewers, who voted him a million-dollar winner on Survivor: America's Tribal Council, a special episode of Survivor: All-Stars. The prize was awarded after a nationwide popular vote in which Boneham received 85% of the votes cast. Boneham and his wife Laura later competed on the 31st season of The Amazing Race and were the second team eliminated.

Thomas "Tom" Westman is an American firefighter and television personality best known as the winner of the tenth season of the American reality show Survivor, Survivor: Palau.

<i>Survivor: Panama</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Panama — Exile Island, also known as Survivor: Exile Island and Survivor: Panama, is the twelfth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama from October 31, 2005, through December 8, 2005, and premiered on February 2, 2006. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it consisted of the usual 39 days of gameplay with 16 competitors, and was the first season with 16 competitors since Survivor: Pearl Islands five seasons prior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirie Fields</span> American nurse and reality TV personality

Cirie Tiffany Fields is an American nurse and television personality who competed on four seasons of Survivor. She first appeared in 2006 on Survivor: Panama, finishing in 4th place. In 2008, she returned and placed 3rd on Survivor: Micronesia. She made her third appearance on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010, finishing 17th after being targeted and blindsided early in the game. She made her fourth and final appearance on Survivor: Game Changers in 2017, where she finished 6th and was eliminated without receiving a vote. She is set to appear for her 5th season of Survivor, where she will represent the USA on the upcoming Australia V The World season of Australian Survivor, set to air in 2025.

<i>Survivor: China</i> Season of television series

Survivor: China is the fifteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The premiere aired September 20, 2007. Host Jeff Probst claimed the show was the first full American TV series to be filmed entirely within China. The specific location is in Mount Lu West Sea, Jiujiang. It is also the northernmost Survivor season held to date, well outside of the tropical zone. Applications were due on January 30, 2007. Around March 2007, about 800 applicants were selected for an interview by CBS. Out of those 800, 48 semi-finalists were selected to go to Los Angeles in April–May 2007. From these semi-finalists, 16 were selected to participate in the show between June and August 2007. The final contestants and their original tribes, Fei Long (飛龍) and Zhan Hu (戰虎), meaning Flying Dragon and Fighting Tiger respectively, were officially announced on August 20, 2007. The merged tribe was Hae Da Fung (黑打風), which means Black Fighting Wind, a name proposed by Peih-Gee Law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Lusth</span> American reality show contestant (born 1981)

Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth is a Mexican reality show contestant who has appeared on several shows, including Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Micronesia;Survivor: South Pacific; andSurvivor: Game Changers. He also competed on the second season of American Ninja Warrior. and the Playboy reality series, Foursome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yul Kwon</span> Winner of Survivor: Cook Islands (born 1975)

Yul Julius Kwon is an American television host and former government official, lawyer, and management consultant based in California. He first gained national recognition and popularity as the winner of the reality TV show Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006. He appeared again in Survivor: Winners at War, where he placed 14th. Kwon hosted the 2012 four-part TV series America Revealed on PBS as well as LinkAsia on Link TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yau-Man Chan</span> Malaysian table tennis player, technology executive, and reality television participant

Yau-Man Chan is a Malaysian table tennis player, technology executive, and reality television participant. He was the fourth-place finisher in the reality television series Survivor: Fiji. He returned to the show in Survivor: Micronesia, where he was the third contestant to be ousted. He was born in Hong Kong to ethnic Chinese parents and raised in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

<i>Survivor: Micronesia</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites, also known as Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites and Survivor: Micronesia, is the sixteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It is the show's third season to include contestants from past seasons, after the all-returning contestant pool from Survivor: All-Stars, along with Survivor: Guatemala, in which two contestants from Survivor: Palau returned for a second chance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Herzog</span> American reality TV personality (born 1985)

Todd Michael Herzog is a former American reality television personality who won the 15th season of the American series Survivor, Survivor: China, in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parvati Shallow</span> American television personality (born 1982)

Parvati Shallow is an American television personality, having appeared as a contestant on four seasons of the reality game show Survivor. She was the $1 million winner on Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites, competing as a Favourite, having previously competed in Survivor: Cook Islands in which she placed sixth, and later was the runner-up in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. In 2020, she competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, in which she placed 15th. She is set to appear for her 5th season of Survivor, where she will represent the USA on the upcoming Australia V The World season of Australian Survivor, set to air in 2025.

<i>Survivor Philippines: Palau</i> Season of a Philippine television reality show

Survivor Philippines: Palau is the second season of the Philippine version of the reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed on the island of Peleliu in Palau. The season aired on GMA Network five times a week from August 17, 2009, until the live finale on November 13, 2009, when Amanda Coolley van Cooll was named the winner over Justine Ferrer and Jef Gaitan by a jury vote of 4–3–0, earning the ₱3,000,000 and the title of Pinoy Sole Survivor.

<i>Biz Kids</i> American educational television series

Biz Kids is an American educational television series that teaches financial education and entrepreneurship to kids and teenagers. It uses sketch comedy, musical guests, guest and special guest appearances, and young actors to explain basic economic concepts. Its motto is: "Where kids teach kids about money and business." Biz Kids has been described as comparable to KING-TV's Almost Live!, and is similar in format to CBC Television's Street Cents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizzie Velásquez</span> American motivational speaker, activist, author, and YouTuber (born 1989)

Elizabeth Anne Velásquez is an American motivational speaker, activist, writer, and YouTuber. She was born with an extremely rare congenital disease called Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome that, among other symptoms, prevents her from accumulating body fat and gaining weight. Her conditions resulted in bullying during her childhood. During her teenage years, she faced cyberbullying, which ultimately inspired her to take up motivational speaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly Bryant (technologist)</span> African American electrical engineer

Kimberly Bryant is an American electrical engineer who worked in the biotechnology field at Genentech, Novartis Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Merck. In 2011, Bryant founded Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing technology and computer programming education to African-American girls. After founding Black Girls Code, Bryant was listed as one of the "25 Most Influential African-Americans In Technology" by Business Insider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Ren</span> American model (born 1996)

Alexis René Glabach, known professionally as Alexis Ren, is an American model.

"Whole Lotta Woman" is a song performed by American singer Kelly Clarkson from her eighth studio album Meaning of Life (2017). It is co-written by Clarkson and its producers—Jussifer, NOVA Wav duo Denisia Andrews and Brittany Coney, Fade Majah, and Jesse Shatkin. A soul anthem about female empowerment, the singer declares herself as a "whole lotta woman" and challenges men to "accept it or walk away". Songwriters put a "fun twist" in the lyrics to allude to the size of Clarkson's waistline, her attitude, her self-worth, and her mouth. Members of the American soul band Earth, Wind & Fire, led by bass player Verdine White, are featured in the song.

References

  1. ↑ Miller Barton, Nancy. "Authentic Confidence". Austin Woman. No. October 2009. AW Media, Inc. p. 22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Villalpando, Nicole (May 9, 2014). "Being 'That Girl' with author Alexis Jones". Austin American-Statesman . Cox Media Group . Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  3. ↑ Singarajah, Atharshna (October 8, 2016). "Kappa Kappa Gamma helps students 'Fleurish' at philanthropy event". The Panther. Chapman University. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. 1 2 "Philanthropy: Alexis Jones, ProtectHER". Create + Cultivate. Create & Cultivate LLC. January 23, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Team". TEDxAustinWomen: Brave Starts Here. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  6. ↑ Chen, Jennifer (June 15, 2017). "ProtectHer Is Increasing Respect for Women, One Locker Room at a Time". Brit + Co. Brit Media. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ "To fight sexual assault, Alexis Jones wants to rebrand manhood". The Courier-Journal . Louisville, KY: Gannett Company. AP. March 15, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Season 16: Episode 12 - A MEDICAL EVACUATION AND A BLINDSIDE: TWO MORE SURVIVORS GO TO THE JURY". CBS.com. CBS, Inc. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  9. ↑ "SXSW Schedule - A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story". South by Southwest Conference & Festival. SXSW, LLC. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Breaking the Bank". Say Yes to the Dress. March 20, 2013. TLC.
  11. 1 2 Smith, Taylor (March 24, 2015). "Basketball Behind Him, Buckman Looks for New Challenges". Reporting Texas. Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  12. ↑ Wonderful Sophia Bush - #1 French Fan Site (September 2015). Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  13. 1 2 Oram, Bill (March 21, 2016). "Lakers looking into harassment claim against Jordan Clarkson, Nick Young". Orange County Register . Southern California News Group . Retrieved April 18, 2017.
  14. ↑ The Sports Xchange (March 22, 2016). "Los Angeles Lakers issue statement supporting Jordan Clarkson, Nick Young after incident". UPI . Retrieved April 18, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.