For Lexie Burns, a Franciscan School 2012 graduate, serving others has become an integral part of who she is. Service is one of the three pillars in TFS’s motto, and for Burns, the experiences and mentors she had at the school helped implant a heart for helping others. “Since my time at TFS, I have taken what I have learned about teamwork and leadership and incorporated it into my time while at college,” says Burns. She even on occasion will come home from college to help teachers like Mrs. Moser and Mrs Harrington in their middle school science classes.

Burns’ passion for helping and leading others also   stems from her own challenges she has faced. Burns has been managing diabetes since she was a young child. Going to TFS as a kindergartner was scary for Burns and her parents, but she said “Being at TFS felt like home. The faculty and staff helped my parents know that I would be safe.” While as a student at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), Burns’ challenges have motivated her to advocate for and educate others on diabetes. She established a diabetics support group on campus, Spartan Diabetics, which has now become a chapter of the College Diabetes Network. In addition to supporting each other, this group talks to classes in the Nursing Department, helps the local JDRF office, and holds an experiential advocacy event each semester. 

In addition to all her service and leadership with Spartan Diabetics, Burns has spent much of her time helping others whenever she can. She served with the Make A Difference House, went on a service spring break trip to Washington, DC to help the homeless, and she even served as the UNCG Women’s Basketball team manager for two years. She helps fellow classmates in the Career Center by peer reviewing resumes and preparing for interviews. Recently, Burns joined Phi Sigma Pi, a National Honorary Leadership Fraternity. Burns is majoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with hopes to work for a company and help them become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Through her challenges and successes, Burns says “I wouldn’t have thought I could do all of this if it wasn't for the amazing upbringing and education I received at TFS.” 

Burns wants to encourage students at TFS that they can do anything they put their minds to. “No matter the challenges you face after graduating from TFS and beyond, face it with confidence. In the end, if you are happy and enjoy what you are doing, then it will never feel like you are working.”