My Story
Meet Alexis Akervik
Ensuring the participation and voices of people from diverse backgrounds and communities in research studies is essential to improve health research and advance health equity. As part of our commitment to ensure that our study findings are relevant and for the benefit of all communities across the state of Minnesota, we launched the 10,000 Families Study (10KFS) Community Advisory Board. One of the board members is Alexis Akervik, who serves on the Community Advisory Board as the advocate for 10KFS participants. Alexis shares her story on how she learned about 10KFS, why she became a participant, and the impact people can make when they join our study.
Alexis came from Wisconsin to St. Paul to study graphic design at the University of Minnesota. That’s where she met her husband, who was also studying graphic design at the time. After college, Alexis and her husband both started working at various design firms, and she went into web and creative digital design. They moved to Minneapolis, where they now live with their eight and five year old daughters. The Akerviks have been calling the same neighborhood home for fourteen years.
One of the things the Akerviks enjoy every year is going to the Minnesota State Fair, the place where Alexis and her husband started dating right at the end of college. “I was on the St. Paul campus by the State Fairgrounds but had never gone. The Wisconsin State Fair is not as big a thing. My husband didn’t understand why I wasn’t going. He goes multiple times every year,” Alexis recalls. Her husband convinced her to try it, and it didn’t take long before she was hooked. Going to the Minnesota State Fair is now a must for the Akervik family. “We really enjoy it. We thought we would only go once this year because of the pandemic, but no, we went three times!” Alexis exclaims. The Minnesota State Fair is also an opportunity for Alexis to showcase her artistic talents. She entered the scarecrow contest with her coworkers in the last few years. As a family, the Akerviks like to go to the health, art, ecology and education buildings, get on the rides, and visit the Driven to Discover building. “Being a University of Minnesota graduate, Driven to Discover is a must-stop on the State Fair tour, so that’s not a surprise,” Alexis chuckled. But something was different when she went to the Driven to Discover Building in 2017. Alexis discovered the 10,000 Families Study. “We went in there, and it just fascinated me. The tagline, we are this land of 10,000 Lakes and we are studying 10,000 families. That’s part of something larger to bring gains to people. It’s part of a trusted institution doing something good,” Alexis affirms. “I’m in the design field but I’ve always had a big interest in health and research. It’s stuff I don't get to do in my job, and it’s a meaningful thing,” Alexis says. Her interest in science and her wish to make a difference pushed Alexis to join the 10,000 Families Study as a participant.
Alexis completed the first step to join the Study at the Minnesota State Fair: She took a short online survey to see if she would qualify for the study, and then she enrolled her two young daughters after the Fair. Her husband decided not to participate, but she has been thinking about inviting other family members. Alexis enthusiastically completed the second step: the health questionnaire for herself and both daughters. The third step, the health visit where the Study gathers physical and functional measurements and some biological samples, gave her pause. With two young girls, Alexis felt a bit hesitant about continuing her participation. “I was like no, I’m not going to put the kids in the car and have them wait at the health visit,” Alexis states. Over two years passed since then, and in the meantime COVID began in early 2020. Health visits could no longer be in person due to the pandemic restrictions. Emily Marlette, then the health visit coordinator for 10KFS, offered Alexis a virtual health visit in the comfort and safety of her home, using a package of materials sent to Alexis, including an iPad and a hotspot, and Zoom. This idea relieved Alexis and she took Emily up on it. “Emily was thoughtful and patient, and the kids were excited and attentive, and I could keep one entertained while the other one was doing the visit,” Alexis says.
In early 2021, Alexis joined the 10KFS Community Advisory Board, as an advocate for Study participants. “It was flattering to be asked to be part of it. It was nice to know that the representation from my family was important for the study. It felt like a group of people who were committed to doing this thing, and I wanted to be a part of that,” Alexis exclaims. “Everyone on the Community Advisory Board is an outstanding leader in the community, and it’s an honor for me to be part of it,” Alexis says.
The 10KFS Community Advisory Board, established in March 2021, includes sixteen community leaders, each of them an advocate for a specific community in Minnesota. These include different racial/ethnic groups, people living with disabilities, LGBTQ, rural/urban communities, health-related organizations, and others. The goal of the Community Advisory Board is to include voices that often are not included in research studies. Guidance from community advocates serving on the Community Advisory Board helps 10KFS to engage with communities, make needed Study changes to enable the participation and inclusion of all, and build trust. All Community Advisory Board members give feedback about what the study is doing right and what it can do better. The 10,000 Families Study also wants the Community Advisory Board to serve as a platform for communities to learn from each other, dialogue, and work towards a healthier Minnesota.
The board members may or may not be participants in the Study, and that’s where Alexis comes in. In her role, she expresses what participants may need from the study. Alexis shares an example: “I have internet and spare time to sit in my basement taking my kids’ blood pressure, but not everyone does. I think about how this comes across to all members of the community,” Alexis says. She and the other board members gather a few times a year to discuss ways to better reach the communities that each of the members represents.”How do we reach the broader population? How can the Study be stated as something of importance to a much broader group?” Alexis wonders. “I would hope that those diverse inputs can lead to maybe even more, like a grab-and-go toolkit, something we can say to people about what we are trying to do to make this be successful,” Alexis says.
Before joining 10KFS, Alexis had never participated in a research study. She can understand why some people may be hesitant about getting involved in research, but she believes the benefits outweigh the doubts. “I respect people’s concerns about privacy and not participating, but it’s a way people can give back without even having to leave your house for the most part. You can ask yourself ‘what am I doing for future generations?’ and you can feel good about it,” Alexis asserts. For those who may be concerned that the study isn’t legitimate, Alexis says not to worry. “The University of Minnesota is a really respected research institution, and there is nothing compromised about this. 10,000 Families is a really 'together' group, and they have loads of experience with all of it,” Alexis informs. For those who want to make a difference, but don’t have time, Alexis says this is the perfect study. “Because it’s not a huge time commitment, but it is a longer commitment, it allows you to feel throughout your participation that you’re part of something bigger, you can really identify with it in the long-term, unlike a one-time study,” Alexis claims.
Philanthropy is very important for Alexis and her family. Alexis enrolled her daughters in 10KFS as an opportunity for her girls to make a difference in the world, now and into the future. “There’s no manual on parenting, but something my husband and I want to instill in our kids is you can help people. You’re not just here to have a good time, though you are here partly for that, but you can also help other people. I hope that their 10KFS research study experience sticks with them, and they recognize that it’s a tangible way for them to help others,” Alexis explains. “It’s pretty cool that they got to be part of that at an early age. Even little things, like they got those Study water bottles at the Fair, and they can see those and remember the Study. If you can get people who’ve done this to talk about it, you should,” Alexis says.
Alexis is very grateful to everyone who already joined the 10,000 Families Study, and has a special message to all of the participants for whom she advocates:.
“We’re doing this together. I would encourage people to reach-out to me or to the Study if they have questions. I don't want this to just be something you did, but something you’re part of and continue to be part of,” Alexis concludes.
If you’re interested in participating in the 10,000 Families Study, please take our eligibility survey at: z.umn.edu/10kfs-participant
If you have questions or concerns about participating, feel free to reach out to Alexis Akervik, our Participants Advocate, at [email protected]
If you’re a community leader interested in learning more about the Community Advisory Board, please email Andrea Hickle at [email protected]
