UNF senior and Hicks Honors student to graduate with double majors

“I’m a lifetime learner.” 

That is how University of North Florida senior Alexanderia Crotts describes her thirst for knowledge. She says this mindset was influenced by her family. 

“My family cultivated a love of learning for me growing up,” said Crotts. “I enjoy learning about various topics to better understand the world around me.” 

Her curiosity led the Green Cove Springs native to double major in transportation and logistics (T&L) and economics, while also declaring double minors in leadership and digital marketing and analytics. 

A member of the Hicks Honors College, Crotts embodies the characteristics their students are known for — a high intellectual ability, a strong work ethic and a desire to get the most out of the college experience, both academically and socially. 

Slated to graduate this May, Crotts has spent her time at UNF involved in several organizations and clubs including serving two years in student government as a senator and director of the Osprey Involvement Center. Additionally, she has held several internships and studied abroad in Belgium and Germany during the spring 2023 semester. 

She currently serves as president of the UNF Transportation and Logistics Society (TLS), a student-led organization that creates a relationship network for all UNF students interested in the transportation and logistics industry. That network includes connections with the Propeller Club Port of Jacksonville and the JAX Chamber Transportation & Logistics Council. Through her leadership and volunteer efforts, Crotts was named the 2022-2023 Propeller Club Student Port Member of the Year. The dedicated Osprey is also president of the Presidential Envoys, of whom she’s been a member of since her freshman year. Presidential Envoys are student leaders who serve as student ambassadors to the Alumni Association and the Office of the President. 

Although she enjoys staying busy with her studies and extracurricular activities, Crotts says she enjoys reading and paddleboarding on UNF’s Lake Oneida during her spare time. 

Journey to UNF and choosing a major 
During her years as an International Baccalaureate (IB) student at Ridgeview High School in Orange Park, Crotts became interested in pursuing a career in agriculture or the food supply chain — a decision prompted by her involvement in the 4-H youth development program where she learned skills such as public speaking, leadership and plant identification. 

In her senior year of high school, COVID-19 had reached its peak, so she decided to be prudent about what she would study in college as it would impact where she chose to attend. She took a career aptitude test that pointed her towards a career in the supply chain industry and she decided to major in T&L. Having heard good things about UNF’s T&L program, she enrolled for the fall 2020 semester with the aid of the Florida Bright Futures scholarship. Crotts applied to the Hicks Honors College to align herself with other students who had a great passion for academics.  

Learning about T&L 
Toward the end of her freshman year, she interned with Magellan Transport Logistics to learn firsthand what T&L is all about. 

Taking an introductory T&L course during her sophomore year taught by Dr. Terry Allen, adjunct professor of marketing and logistics, served as a turning point in her collegiate career, helping her to realize she was on the right career path. 

“I was able to really connect and have good conversations with Dr. Allen,” Crotts said. She also relied upon input from fellow students in the TLS and alumni to gain more knowledge about the T&L industry. 

Dr. Allen discussed his admiration for Crotts’ work ethic, stating that she has an inherent passion to learn and excel in whatever environment she encounters. 

“I have been impressed by her ability to successfully manage the multiple priorities of a significant course load, her duties as president of the TLS, her internships and her other endeavors,” Allen said. 

Another turning point in her sophomore year that convinced her to stick with T&L was her participation in the annual Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) Case Competition. 

“The case competition helped me cement my friendships here at UNF and made it really hard to leave,” Crotts said. 

Through her experiences in the T&L program, she chose to double major in economics to open opportunities to seek more quantitative roles and enhance her understanding of the world. At the suggestion of faculty in the Hicks Honors College, she began taking leadership courses — eventually declaring a double minor in leadership and digital marketing and analytics. 

Internships and jobs 
Realizing that real-world experience is the best teacher, Crotts landed several internships throughout college to enhance her professional development. In addition to Magellan, she interned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay program during the 2021-2022 academic year. She then interned at Crowley Maritime in the summer of 2022 before accepting a part-time position with the company. In the summer of 2023, she interned at Southeastern Grocers. She is currently enjoying an internship at Bacardi as a production planning optimization intern. In this role, she evaluates workflow processes and assists in creating solutions to improve key performance indicators. 

“I am able to see raw goods come together and make a finished product,” said Crotts. “I’m seeing so many things that I learned in my classes happen right in front of me.” 

According to Bacardi’s Supply and Production Planning Manager Alejandro Urdapilleta Sanchez, who serves as Crotts’s internship manager, she shows great commitment and responsibility in her assigned tasks. 

“It has been an incredible experience having the opportunity to mentor Alexanderia,” he said. “I’ve been able to share my knowledge and experience while learning from a fresh approach.” 

Aside from her internships and leadership roles on campus, Crotts has also worked as a teaching assistant in the Hicks Honors College and a student researcher for the UNF Institute of Environmental Research and Education’s Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). Through the ELP, Crotts worked with MyGreenDoctor, a free program aimed at helping offices and clinics improve their energy use, where she helped to develop an online procurement platform for health care offices. 

Crotts considers herself blessed to have had so many enjoyable experiences thanks to her time at UNF. She says seizing opportunities has been the key to her success. 

“The opportunities are there,” she said. “If you go and search them out, doors will open —you just have to ask.” 

What’s next? 
When discussing her time at UNF, Crotts says she will miss the sense of community the campus has and the many bonds she’s developed. 

As for her post-graduation plans, Crotts says she is still weighing several options and has not made any definitive decisions yet. The avid reader declares her thirst for knowledge will continue. 

“I plan to continue to learn regardless of where I land — it doesn’t stop here.”