Now this is the power of one remarkable collegiette: Lindsay Brown, a 21-year-old Notre Dame soccer star, is the winner of Seventeen’s 2012 Pretty Amazing contest. Not only is she gracing the cover of the number one teen mag’s October issue, but she’s also receiving a $20,000 scholarship from Neutrogena.
Selected out of five finalists by all-star judges Ann Shoket, Emma Roberts, and Jared Eng, Lindsay was chosen for her selfless work empowering young girls in third-world countries. A lifelong soccer player and 2010 NCAA Division I champion, Lindsay found a passion for philanthropy after volunteering at the Kopila Valley School in Nepal. She quickly realized that when the girls were active in sports, they became more engaged in the classroom. To act on this discovery, Lindsay started the first ever all girls soccer team in Nepal and formed a campus chapter of She’s the First—a Her Campus partner and not-for-profit favorite—that raises money to sponsor girls’ educations across the globe. Simply by hosting a special tie-dyed cupcake bake sale, she and her peers at Notre Dame raised $900, enough to sponsor three girls at Kopila Valley. Incredible, right?
“What set Lindsay apart was her selfless devotion to helping other girls understand their power in the world,” Shoket said. “She made tremendous personal sacrifice—giving up a full scholarship to Notre Dame and resigning from the soccer team she loved. Now, she’ll not only be our cover star, but the prize money will certainly make things a little easier financially.”
To broaden her international impact, Lindsay also founded the SEGway Project (Soccer Empowering Girls Worldwide and You) and is working hard to introduce similar programs in Kenya and Cambodia.
“With Seventeen’s spotlight on Lindsay and the cupcake fundraising campaign, we expect young men and women here in the U.S. to connect with the mission of She’s the First on a never-before-seen level,” said Tammy Tibbetts, founder and president of She’s the First. “Internationally, the money we raise will enable girls who were condemned to a life of poverty to be the first in their families to graduate high school. This is an inspiring message for teens in the U.S., teaching them empathy along with valuable entrepreneurial, leadership, and social media skills.”
Check out Lindsay’s interview when the October issue hits newsstands on September 11. In the meantime, put your design skills to the test by designing a t-shirt for this year’s She’s the First tie-dyed cupcake bake sale. Who knows, maybe you’ll land the cover of Seventeen someday, too!
21-year-old Lindsay Brown is the winner of Seventeen’s 2012 Pretty Amazing contest.