How did you get involved with She's the First? What inspired you to organize the first tie-dye cupcake bake sale?
During my Freshman year at Notre Dame, a girl in my dorm introduced me to She’s the First. When she studied abroad for a semester, I told her I’d oversee fundraising efforts. In the fall of my sophomore year, my soccer teammates and I decided to organize a bake sale after practice one night. We decided to bake tie-dye cupcakes because we know everyone’s tight on money in college, so we had to give them a cool incentive to buy them. To our surprise, we sold out within two hours and made close to $400. After our first successful bake sale, we knew we had to do more. Within three months, we had raised over $1000, enough to send three girls to Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal.
During my Freshman year at Notre Dame, a girl in my dorm introduced me to She’s the First. When she studied abroad for a semester, I told her I’d oversee fundraising efforts. In the fall of my sophomore year, my soccer teammates and I decided to organize a bake sale after practice one night. We decided to bake tie-dye cupcakes because we know everyone’s tight on money in college, so we had to give them a cool incentive to buy them. To our surprise, we sold out within two hours and made close to $400. After our first successful bake sale, we knew we had to do more. Within three months, we had raised over $1000, enough to send three girls to Kopila Valley School in Surkhet, Nepal.
What is the SEGway Project? Why do you think soccer has such a positive impact on a girl's life?
I created The SEGway Project in the fall of 2011 when I returned home from spending the summer in Nepal. It stands for “Soccer Empowering Girls Worldwide and You”. While coaching the first girls’ soccer team at Kopila Valley School, I realized for the first time the huge impact playing soccer has had in my own life. It has made me the leader that I am today. It was also the first time I thought about the transformative role it could play in even more girls’ lives around the world. When I first arrived, the girls were so timid and shy in the classroom, but after playing soccer for a few weeks, I noticed they became more engaged in school and more confident. So, I decided to create The SEGway Project to help empower even more girls on the soccer field, so they can segway into the leaders they were born to be.
How did you hear about the Pretty Amazing Contest, and what was the application process like?
I heard about the Pretty Amazing Contest on Twitter. The President of She’s the First, Tammy Tibbetts, forwarded me the tweet. I submitted a 1,000-word essay in late April, and after a series of phone interviews and questionnaires, I Skyped with Editor-in-Chief Ann Shoket in early June. She informed me that I was one of five finalists chosen from over 25,000 submissions! It was the day before I left for my summer internship in Cambodia, so I was super excited and overwhelmed! Luckily, I was able to miss a few days of work in mid-June to fly back to New York City and participate in press events, interviews, and photo shoots with the four other finalists. The judges chose the winner based on three criteria: a speech we gave at a luncheon while in NYC, our story, and our photo shoot. We didn’t find out the winner until the day Seventeen surprised me at school. I had no idea beforehand, they didn’t even tell my parents!
What was your reaction to winning the contest? How will you use your cover girl status to keep impacting girls?
It felt like I was dreaming when Seventeen and my soccer team surprised me at school! I was so happy my teammates were there with me to celebrate because they have helped me organize She’s the First events since I first started a few years ago. When I thought about how many people were going to see the cover and read my story, I became overwhelmed and beyond excited. I am so honored to be able to give a voice to all of the little girls I have met in Nepal and Cambodia. They are all so brave and resilient; I believe they have the ability to inspire so many girls here in the U.S.
I hope when Seventeen readers see my story, they realize something as simple as a cupcake can make a profound change in a girl’s life halfway around the world. I believe my story shows that when you’re passionate about something, it’s contagious. I hope readers ask themselves what little thing can they be doing each and every day to make a positive impact in someone else’s life.
Plans after graduation: Graduate school, so I can continue to study International Relations and hopefully pursue a career in foreign policy one day!
I'm originally from: Newport Beach, California
But my current home is: Notre Dame University or Nepal
I believe: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
I am inspired by: My grandmother, Petra, and the first girl I sponsored in Nepal, Hima
Best advice I've ever received: "People can take away your car, clothes, and money but no one can ever take away your education, so go to school." My grandma Petra always says this!
My biggest risk that paid off: Giving up my full scholarship for senior year to create my own nonprofit organization
I cannot go a day without: Diet Coke
On my bedside table, I keep: A globe and Condoleeza Rice’s autobiography (Yes, I’m a nerd.)
Favorite way to spend a Sunday: At home in California, paddle boarding with my dog, Dakota
What tops my bucket list: Getting my pilot’s license
Recommended reading: The Road of Lost Innocence, by Somaly Mam
WOW. She is fantastic. I need to run out and get a copy of Seventeen to paste the article on my wall as inspiration!
ReplyDeleteI know, right?! She really is. Definitely go grab a copy. Lindsay's the kind of inspiration that our generation needs more of.
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