Alexa Nanako Heslin
She/Her
Activist-in-Residence Finalist
Alexa is a Japanese-American senior at Brooklyn Technical High School majoring in industrial design. She has a strong passion for martial arts. As a second-degree black belt who has lived in the dojo since age 6 and has taught legions of students, Alexa is finding new ways to connect with the LGBTQ community through her passion. As a 2024 Activist-in-Residence Fellow, Alexa will establish free self-defense workshops for Black and Indigenous, trans, and queer New Yorkers as an avenue for support and empowerment. These workshops will be hosted regularly in communities where LGBTQ+ members are highly impacted by incidences of violence, and they will equip participants with effective verbal and physical techniques to feel autonomy and security in their daily lives.