Making the Distinction

By Hedy Gerace, associate director of stewardship, KU Foundation

Alexandra “Alex” M. Ingram ’11 lives by the mission of “empowering tomorrow's leaders, one girl at a time.” Make the Distinction, Inc., or MTD, is a non-profit rooted in mentorship for girls aged 11 to 17, and with Ingram leading the charge as executive director and founder, they learn leadership skills and confidence without limits.

Ingram’s drive to create MTD came from several influences, one of which was becoming a Golden Bear. “Kutztown wasn’t my initial plan,” she said, but “in hindsight, it was the perfect fit for me.”

A teacher had been the person who recommended KU, and Ingram enrolled soon after. This was the fall of 2007 and it didn’t take her long to find out that at KU, professors knew all their students’ names. This was a place where campus involvement helped create a home away from home; a place where, Ingram said, “I felt like I could make change.”

Between studying for her psychology major and sociology minor, Ingram was deeply involved with the Gospel Choir and Black Student Union. Serving in multiple leadership roles across the two groups, she felt welcomed and empowered. In these spaces, Ingram learned more than ever that she was capable of being a leader. “I understood the power of gathering people,” she said.

Ingram enjoyed intramural sports, including pickup basketball, volleyball, flag football, and dodgeball. She also ​​worked as a referee and scorekeeper in the Student Recreation Center. “That also felt like home,” she shared, reflecting on her co-curricular experiences. “These things were all in perfect alignment with myself.”

Staying busy, Ingram participated in community service and was part of Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. That same year, the Phillies won the World Series. The energy on campus was electric in moments of history being made, and Ingram recalls members of the KU community filling Main Street in celebration more than once.

Through it all, Ingram’s core values continued to grow. Learning to connect with anyone, in any room “came with time and development, but Kutztown helped with that.”

Much of Ingram’s dedication to helping young girls succeed comes from her own childhood. “Whether it was in church, sports, or family … so many people played a part in my development,” she explained. At times, she struggled with confidence as a young girl. What was truly transformational was having adults who believed in her.

“None of us got here on our own,” Ingram said, which is another value near and dear to the heart of MTD. For her, “it really took a community of people.”

After graduating from KU in 2011, Ingram went on to earn a Master of Social Work from West Chester University. From there, she explored several career opportunities including serving as an algebra teacher for City Year AmeriCorps in Miami, Fla., working as a case manager, and holding multiple roles for the Greater Philadelphia YMCA. Throughout these experiences, she gained insight as a teacher and instructor. Along the way, ideas formed for something even greater.

“I was a part of so many youth programs. I knew what worked and didn’t work—I knew one day I’d start my own,” Ingram said. A mentor once told her to write down all her ideas. She followed that advice and began to set money aside, planning and dreaming along the way.

In the end, it would be the girls themselves who pushed Ingram to create MTD. In 2017, she was working with the Y Achievers group at Villanova University. Still with some apprehension, Ingram decided to share ideas for her own non-profit. “They were ​​16 years old and they could speak as much power into the room as an adult,” she said. With their encouragement, MTD was formed and “they were the first to come.”

Since achieving non-profit status in 2018, MTD has served as many as 350 girls through its programs. Its participants are grateful for everything from connecting with others to feeling safe and unjudged.

Recently, Ingram has lent her mentorship skills back to the KU community. ​​She was keynote speaker at the student organizations’, AIMS and SISTERs, banquet hosted by the Multicultural Center, and spoke at Black Student Union’s ​​Ujima Conference. She also served as a speaker for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, sparking conversation about leadership and our responsibilities to one another on each occasion.

“The climate of our world, women in sports … this is where we really have to grab our girls and ask them, ‘What is your worth? Your value? Your self love?’” Ingram said. “How do we prepare them after high school? It doesn’t have to look like one thing, but how are we setting them up to be successful in their hearts and their minds?” All of this and more is at work in her programs and her life. 

As for her original cohort, Ingram maintains a good relationship with them. In a meeting with one of these young women last year, the former MTD member revealed that someone asked her to be their mentor. However, she questioned if she knew enough to serve in that role. Laughing, Ingram reassured her: “That’s what mentorship is! You know exactly what you’re doing.”

Interested in learning more about Make the Distinction? Visit MTD at makethedistinction.org.