Alexandra believes that more often than we care to think, trauma is the gateway that leads to trouble. She shares how unaddressed childhood sexual assault led a young girl from a seemingly “picture perfect” family down the rabbit hole into a world of drugs, specifically methamphetamine, and a violent relationship. After nearly losing her life, Alexandra spent three and a half years alternately in hiding from and in court against her abuser, until one fateful night when a random encounter resulted in his death. Despite recognizing her circumstance as domestic violence, it wasn’t until more than a decade later that Alexandra realized she had also been sex trafficked. This realization spurred the motivation to co-found Uprising, an anti-human trafficking non-profit organization. The more understanding there is surrounding difficult topics, the more opportunity there is for victims to be able to put a name to what is happening to them and then seek appropriate resources to help. Alexandra wants to help start this conversation in a way that makes it more approachable as she chooses to heal from her trauma through activism, human connection, and laughter.
Alexandra Stevenson is the co-founder/director of Uprising, an anti-human trafficking non-profit organization. A survivor of trafficking, she shares how events in her childhood led to drug abuse and a violent relationship that resulted in her being trafficked. Alexandra believes that by sharing her story, she can help prevent others from similar victimization.