On the early evening of December 26, 2025, God took Alexa “Lexi” Jewel Ringo, a devoted follower of Jesus, from this fallen, cruel world to receive her eternal place in heaven.

Lexi was riding as a passenger while her mother drove, when she was hit and killed by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign just a few minutes from the Waterset home where she has lived for over 10 years.

The injuries were traumatic, but she was never alone. Her mother stayed with her on the street, in the ambulance, and in the trauma center, and her father was able to get to the hospital before she was pronounced dead.

Her family cannot forget the good Samaritans who stopped and did not leave Lexi’s mother alone until the ambulance arrived. The family also does not take for granted the outpouring of love from and for her family friends, classmates, the Waterset community, her schools, her teammates, the locations where she volunteered, and the EMT and trauma team who did not want to give up on her.

Lexi lead an exceptional, happy, and fulfilling life before leaving us. She maintained strait-A’s throughout middle school and high school and was 5th in her Junior class of 300+ students. She was an active and long-time volunteer for the First Tee Golf Program, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and Metropolitan Ministries, with more than 600 hours of service between them. At Waterset Charter School and Winthrop College Prep Academy, she was an officer on Student Lighthouse, National Junior Honor Society, National Honor Society, Student Ambassadors, and Student Government. She was elected Class President for both her Sophomore and Junior years and was planning to pursue a third term as a Senior. For the 2025 golf season, she was MVP of the East Bay Girls Golf Team. This past summer, she received her certificate for completing a 30-hour online course for Harvard Medical School.

To ensure that Lexi’s extraordinary 16 years are not forgotten, her family has set up a GoFundMe for a scholarship honoring her aspiration of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Depending on the amount collected, this fund will be allocated for single or multi-year scholarships for students accepted to and attending the University of Florida in the pursuit of a medical degree, just like the path Lexi was going to pursue after graduation in 2027. Candidates will be selected based on how closely they align with Lexi’s commitment to academics, leadership, and service. Scholarship amount(s) will be based on the donations received each year, hopefully in perpetuity.

The family wants Lexi’s accomplishments and character never to be overshadowed by this tragedy. They want her to continue being a bright light in this world, even though she is no longer in it.

UPDATE: Based on the overwhelming amount of support that has come in so quickly, Lexi's family has increased the fundraising amount so that the ultimate goal of having the scholarship in perpetuity can be achieved. They will be transitioning this initial fundraising effort into a 501(c)3 charitable organization in the weeks to come.

Please note that should you choose to donate, a standard "tip" will be added part of the GoFundMe platform. This is completely optional and can be adjusted. If anyone has questions or runs into an issue, please reach out to me directly at [phone redacted]. We want to ensure complete transparency with all funds collected on behalf of this memorial scholarship in Lexi's honor.