Raised roughly 40 miles east of town in Oakland, Tennessee, Alexis Murrell had been to Memphis lots of times. She always felt a connection with the city. But she didn’t know much about Christian Brothers University.

Thankfully, that changed during high school when she was invited by Dr. Jennifer Weske, department chair for undergraduate accounting and the director of the Master of Accountancy program, to participate in an on-campus accounting camp at CBU.

“It was a weeklong stay, and we stayed in the LLC dorms,” said Murrell. “During that experience, we completed a series of accounting tasks and built our own business. I started to connect with the staff here.”

Before she knew it, she was applying—and getting in—to CBU. Something felt right, and when accepted into the Class of 2025, she decided it was the right step for her.

Always under her mother’s protective wing, Murrell began to blossom into her own thanks to the supportive environment she found at CBU. That confidence inspired her to grow as a servant-leader.

“The small campus really made it feel like home,” she said. ”It helped me to break out of my shell. Because of the size, professors were able to know us all by name. You walk around campus and see familiar faces. It’s easy to deal with homesickness because you build your sense of community here.”

Although she had planned to focus on accounting, English 101 tapped into her creative side and changed her path. She learned more about the English major through the university’s peer mentor program and decided it was a fit.

Now, she is on track to graduate this spring and plans to go into television journalism. She also would like to write books that encourage children to step out on faith.

While her career aspirations are extremely important to her, Alexis identifies deeply with the Lasallian value of service and spends most of her free time in that capacity.

As the president of the CBU chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she speaks on behalf of the organization and prioritizes community service events.

She is especially committed to serving children from lower-income households and families and women in domestic violence situations and also participates in CBU’s September of Service, which she describes as “a good opportunity for me to connect with organizations I may not have previously known about.”

“To me, community service means giving back to those who sometimes can’t give to themselves,” said Murrell.

Among her many accomplishments while at CBU is the top one given by the university. As a Class of 2025 Lasallian Fellow—an honor bestowed on only five seniors annually—she has been recognized as a student who embodies the values set forth by founder St. John Baptist de La Salle.

“When I first learned about it, I was so nervous,” she said. “It was just a surreal experience. I was so grateful because it means that I’ve done my servant’s task here. I’ve done everything that God called me to do here as far as impacting my peers in a positive manner.”

When asked about her heroes, her mother is never far from her mind, clearly a role model whose influence runs deep.

“My mom has been everything to me my whole life,” said Murrell. “She has shown me what it has been to be a woman who serves the community and God. She taught me the golden rule—that I should put my best foot forward and be the best to everyone that I meet. You don’t know how your positive attitude can change their life and their day.”

Murrell also serves as a resident assistant and leads the student activities council for the 2024-25 academic year. Her team plans campus-wide events in partnership with the Office of Student Engagement.

“I am most impressed by the fact that Alexis is a natural leader who consistently operates with compassion and an undeniable sense of calling,” said Dr. Cynthia Alexander Mitchell, Graduate Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Education. “Her ability to inspire her peers gives me hope that we have a bright future, knowing she will serve as a great leader among us!”

We congratulate Murrell on all of her recent and future successes!