Malexis Barinotto had a troubled family life growing up, but Wake Tech and some friends gave her a second opportunity to create a family.

Barinotto grew up in a home gripped by addiction and says that pressure affected her mental health and academics in middle school and high school. She learned at an early age how to take care of herself and started working long hours at 16 to escape the house before moving out altogether two years later.

After high school, she worked full time at Sheetz, rising through the store management ranks. Calling it "a pretty lonely time for me," she says she knew she didn't want to continue working in retail.

"I wanted to go to school to see if I could do something more," she said, noting that she always had a thought in the back of her mind of becoming a therapist so she could use her own experiences to help others.

Because she had been out of school for two years and never saw herself as a strong student, she dipped her toes in the waters at Wake Tech by taking a public speaking class. When she failed the course, it seemed to confirm her doubts about herself.

One day, Barinotto met a friend at a store, and when the girl's mother asked how she was doing, she broke down and sobbed. The woman offered for Barinotto to move in with the family to provide some stability and advised her to quit her job and return to school full time.

This time, Barinotto dove in at Wake Tech. She attended events on campus and built a group of friends, slowly breaking down the walls she had built over the years to protect herself.

"I had a small community of support, and I started seeing changes in how I felt about myself," she said. "I had always been introverted, but I felt more confident about talking to others."

She even retook the public speaking course and passed it.

While attending an event on Scott Northern Wake Campus, Barinotto met Director of Student Success Amanda Allen, who talked with her about becoming part of the Peer Leader program, which pairs new students with other students as mentors.

Allen says Barinotto displayed a genuine interest in helping others, so she knew she would be a perfect fit for the program.

"She brings a warmth and positivity to her interactions that makes people feel welcomed and encouraged," Allen said. "I could see that she truly cared about being a Peer Leader and mentoring new students."

The experience opened the floodgates for Barinotto, who then served as a senator in the Student Government Association and as president of Wake Tech DECA, was part of a group that went to the national Future Business Leaders of America competition and was a member of the Eagle Impact Initiative and Wake Tech's Impact Council.

She also was the college's nominee for the Gov. Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award, which is handed out annually by the North Carolina Community College System to honor outstanding student leadership and service

"Being a Peer Leader solidified my idea of helping people as a career, and everything grew from there," she said. "I'm very appreciative of the opportunities I got."

Barinotto says the support she received from teachers and resources like the Care Center made her a better student. After earning her Associate in Arts degree, she continued her education at North Carolina State University, with plans to earn a master's degree in social work.

"Wake Tech really did shape me as a person," she said.