Bright Spot: Local woman inspires others with ‘Be Fearless Summit’

MANSFIELD, Conn. (WFSB) - Tomorrow a national summit started by a young woman from our state will be held for students at UConn.

“Every person needs to figure out what they want to do with their life, and I am really adamant about people finding it as young as they can because I think that’s really how you build on your success.”

That’s what 24-year-old Alexa Curtis has set out to do since a very young age.

“I grew up in Mansfield, which is obviously a really small town. Never fit in, and when I was 12 my sister had the idea: ‘you should start a blog.”

5 years after starting her fashion blog, 17-year-old Alexa moved to New York. She was determined to find her way, so she created an opportunity for herself.

“I didn’t go to college, I didn’t have a person funding me or back me, but I had this idea to do like an Instagram takeover and I pitched it to a brand for $1,500 and they said yes.”

And that’s how the ‘Be Fearless Summit’ was born.

So far, she has brought the summit to Drexel, Vanderbilt, and Berkeley, and UConn this weekend will be the fourth.

The full-day conferences with different colleges have allowed Alexa to break out and inspire others who feel different to take a chance and discover what makes them happy.

“I think to be successful; you ultimately have to get uncomfortable and that just really comes with trying different things and understanding that it’s OK to not succeed at everything you try.”

And for this small-town girl, coming back home to Connecticut is a full circle moment.

“Every time I go back to Mansfield and see my parents and whatnot, it kind of inspires me and I have taken on a tremendous amount of responsibility as a young person.”