alumni FOCUS

FRED AND ALEXIS (AGBUNAG) JONES ‘06

After graduating from Pope John Paul II High School in 2006, Alexis (Agbunag) Jones studied advertising and fine art at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville before earning a Bachelor of Fine Art in Graphic and Web Design from the Art Institute of Nashville. After working for local magazines and a children’s book publishing house, she launched “A Modern Creative Studio,” a creative agency that offers brand identity, marketing, creative direction, photography, and website design. Alexis is also a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES), 200hr Experience Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT), and Barre teacher. “As a gymnast growing up, movement has always brought me joy, and I have loved traveling to teach teachers, as well as leading classes in Nashville and Hendersonville over the last ten years,” explained Alexis.

Fred Jones ‘06 graduated from South College, and outside of work, he enjoys coaching and training young athletes.

Fred and Alexis have two children: Christopher (a rising 6th grader at Pope Prep) and Maia.

When you think about your time at Pope John Paul II High School, what do you remember most?

Alexis: When I think about my time at JPII, I enjoy reflecting about the traditions that made our high school experience unique - like house games and the opportunity to create traditions and culture as the first freshman class. I also recall the great friendships, coaches, and teachers.

Houses were a great way to force us to get to know one another, even outside our circles, and figure out how to work together. I think that is why our class was so close.

My favorite classes were Ms. Komando’s art classes and Mr. Aznar’s advanced Spanish classes.

My favorite programs were the National Art Honor Society and the study abroad program. I was able to travel to Alicante, Spain with fellow classmates for a summer while receiving college credits. It was a beautiful trip and a fantastic experience I will never forget.

Fred: As a student at JPII, I felt my voice was being heard for the first time by faculty. If we thought a rule or expectation was unfair, we could challenge that with facts and reasoning. We won many of these challenges with faculty, and it felt great to be part of a culture that supported our values and welcomed change on the go.

Coach Stevenson and Mrs. McLaren were my two favorite faculty members while at Pope. At the time, I was going through a lot in life, and Mrs. McLaren allowed me to use her as a listening ear. There were many times she helped me with tools to process what I was going through.

How did your experiences at Pope John Paul II High School shape you for your future endeavors?

Fred: My time at JPII made me a critical thinker and a better writer. College English felt easy compared to the learning process I went through at Pope. Furthermore, the open discussions we were encouraged to have in a diverse class allowed me to take on different perspectives on various topics. This allowed me to begin to understand how people from different walks of life understood the world. Today, I can empathize and relate to anyone on one level or another because of this experience.

Alexis: I may have not realized it at the time, but my experience at Pope helped me to embrace entrepreneurship with more confidence. As the first freshman class, we were given many opportunities to create something from nothing — new traditions, new uniforms, new policies, and a new culture. I found a passion for art and design while taking art classes at Pope but was unsure what that career path would look like as it was different from most of my family. Fast forward, and I can see how my experiences helped me feel more prepared to start something new of my own.

Also, the extracurricular requirements, like 40 hours of community service and participation in at least two sports or activities on top of school work, taught us how to be hardworking. It showed me how much I could handle if I just prioritized my time. That still translates into adulthood, inspiring me to be hardworking and give back when and where I can at home and at work.

You have explained that you plan to send your son to Pope Prep. Why are you choosing this experience for him?

Fred: We are sending our son to Pope Prep because of the love and support the school has provided us over the years. I can’t speak for every graduate, but for me, Pope has always answered when I call and has always been a welcoming place. Our son loves the fact that we both went to Pope, and he is excited to pick up where we left off and continue the legacy.

Alexis: It is exciting. I hope his experience is unique and is as inspiring for him as it was for us.