This is the 78th article in Bears Doing Big Things, a weekly column celebrating the stories of notable M-A alumni.
“There are really no limitations to what I can do in this field. I’m always on some adventure or discovering something new,” Kirsten Alexis ‘05 said. Alexis is a content creator, photographer, and blog writer covering travel and the outdoors.
Alexis grew up in a very active household because her dad was a middle school basketball and volleyball coach. “I was always doing some sort of sport,” she said. “I wasn’t very coordinated, but I enjoyed running around the court, learning new skills, and fostering community with the other students.”
In the fifth grade, Alexis’ life took a turn when she was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and went through a spinal fusion surgery in the seventh grade. “My surgery was a big life changing event for me,” she said. “It defined who I was for a while.”
At M-A, Alexis didn’t participate in any school sports because of her back surgery but continued swimming on a club team. She was very involved in the art department, and noted her favorite teacher was Craig Le Claire, who taught fine arts. “He made a big creative impact on me and inspired some of my profession today,” Alexis said.
“M-A had so much to offer for everyone and the community was always very open to everyone. I found my place quickly and really loved high school,” she said.
Alexis went to UC Los Angeles and studied art with an emphasis on photography, painting, and digital media. “UCLA is huge, so it was definitely a shock going to a school that’s like a little city, but I think M-A prepared me for it,” Alexis said. “The art department there felt like a little family and made college less overwhelming.”
After graduating from UCLA, Alexis traveled to Europe for a few months. There, she fell in love with travel and her goal of incorporating adventure into her career began. “It’s hard to break through to just being a freelance traveler,” she explained. “You have to really work your way up and gain experience in many fields.”
Alexis worked at many startups after college in different fields, which helped her learn to “wear many hats.” She was graphic and web designer at Century 21, a real estate company, and an art director and digital media designer at Health IQ, a healthcare insurance company. Alexis was also a senior social media specialist for Together Labs, a company focused on the Metaverse and virtual worlds. “These industries are always changing, so I constantly had to learn new skills and work in new environments,” Alexis said.
Alexis documents her travel adventures on her Instagram account with over 17,000 followers. She frequently posts about her travels, displays her photography, and gives hiking and swimming tips. “It’s a really cool job being able to inspire people around the world just through my social media page. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out content, but I just tell myself to go on a new hike or explore a new place and I’ll always find something,” she said.
Alexis also works as a freelance photographer and writer for travel companies, hotels, and mountaineering programs. She specializes in drone and aerial photography. Her favorite project was working with Polaris Adventures photographing their snowmobile and ATV adventures. She has also photographed hotels in Tahoe and Colorado and mainly produces the content for their marketing and social media usage.
Alexis’ favorite expedition for her job was reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. “Standing on the summit is magical. You get to watch the sun rise at 19,000 feet after ascending for the entire night in the dark with just a headlamp and your guides,” she said. “Taking photos of my teammates’ success was the highlight.”
She also recently hiked Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, and reached 17,000 feet, despite challenges with two knee surgeries. “Pico de Orizaba helped me reframe my mind to one of gratitude rather than just ticking summits off a list,” Alexis said.
Along with freelancing, Alexis writes weekly posts for tahoe.com highlighting Tahoe’s local events, activities, and adventure experiences. She also created her own blog called This Adventure Life in 2019, where she wrote about her own trips and sold trips in partnership with other travel companies. “This was one of my favorite projects because it was all my own. Instead of just doing design and photography, I got to learn business, management, and outreach. It was really trial and error,” Alexis said. “Being able to craft experiences for other people and do the actual activity with them was really fun.”
Alexis’ advice to current students: “Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self and pursue what you want to pursue. Block out the people that will tell you it’s unachievable. My path was never completely straight forward, but if you’re passionate and determined, it can happen.”
For those interested in content creation: “The key is knowing what you have to offer and being able to push yourself outside your comfort zone. Be open to new experiences and say yes to everything. That’s what will really make you stand out.”
