Lead Alumni: Where Are They Now
Since 2017, we’ve welcomed hundreds of incredible young women to the Lead Summit, and it’s been amazing to follow along on their next chapters after high school. Everyone’s journey looks different, but it’s at the heart of our mission that the lessons, memories, and friendships from the Lead Summit stick with all of our Lead Girls for life.
Now, we’re happy to introduce you to a few of our alumni! ↓
Lindsay K.
Lindsay is a LEAD alum from Avondale, PA and attended the summit from 2018 through 2021 in Atlanta, GA and Denver, CO. She is a rising fourth year Kinesiology student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and plans to attend Physician Assistant School after graduation. Lindsay has also contributed to research through the University of Delaware’s Muscle and Tendon Performance Laboratory and even co-authored in a recently accepted journal article entitled “Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Patellar and Achilles Tendon Loading: A Scoping Review With Practical Recommendations”. Outside of the classroom, Lindsay was a former rower for the University of Minnesota and is now a student manager for the UMN Swim and Dive team. She also works as a restaurant server and has developed a special passion for playing ice hockey. In all of these endeavors, the things that Lindsay has learned at LEAD have continued to play a major role. When reflecting on her experiences with LEAD, the countless lessons about confidence, leadership, and empowerment have been invaluable to her successes in all areas throughout the years. She has learned how to effectively navigate adversity, stay resilient, lead by example, and have unwavering confidence in herself. Lindsay is so excited to be a part of the LEAD team (Minneapolis '25) to continue the LEAD legacy of empowering young female athletes.
Emma S.
Emma is a 2021 and 2022 (and wishful 2020) LEAD alum from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Both years she attended LEAD, the summit was held in Denver, Colorado, and it was a fantastic way for her to explore a new city while making long-lasting connections. After graduating from high school in 2023, Emma studied and swam at Rutgers University for two years and is transferring to the University of Minnesota this fall to complete her studies with a co-major in Business Analytics and Management Information Systems, and a minor in Sport Management. While not nerding out over sports analytics, Emma enjoys staying connected to the sport of swimming by coaching for a club swim team in the Minneapolis area and managing the University of Minnesota Swimming and Dive Team this upcoming fall. To tie together love for sports and passion for data and numbers, Emma hopes to work in the sports analytics industry and is excited to start a research position with the Tucker Center for Gender Equity in Sports in the fall. Recently, Emma has begun discovering new hobbies beyond sport, such as learning sign language, doing puzzles, and uncovering the best coffee shops in the area. Emma credits LEAD with giving her the skills to build the resilience necessary for her to overcome significant obstacles and challenges she has faced in the past two years. One LEAD session that left a lasting impact on her was learning loom with Natalie Hinds. Natalie’s enjoyment of loom inspired Emma to try new activities while she was transitioning out of competitive swimming. This year, Emma was excited to experience LEAD from the other side, as she helped coordinate LEAD 2025. With her recent move, she sees the next year as the beginning of a new chapter and can’t wait to capitalize on the transferable skills that LEAD has given her!
Ellie F.
Ellie attended the Lead Summit from 2018 through 2022, in Denver and Atlanta. She has been able to transfer the skills she learned throughout her years at Lead to her current endeavors as a swimmer at Towson University and several internships with minor league baseball teams. Ellie is pursuing a degree in business with a concentration in marketing. She gives Lead credit in helping her find her passion for marketing by taking her on as an intern beginning in 2020. From her years at Lead, the lessons that have stuck out the most to Ellie have included how to lead quietly, trusting my training, and taking a break will help, not hurt. The other thing that really stuck with her when she was deciding whether to continue swimming collegiately or not was that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer, and if swimming was still bringing her joy through training and her teammates, it was still worth it. Ellie has found that wherever she is working, whether it be in the classroom, in the pool or at the stadium, everything she has gained from Lead is with her without even realizing it. The weekend at Lead may be short in time, but the impact of the lessons gained at Lead are intertwined in daily life and allows Ellie to be a better teammate every day. Ellie is currently the Social Media Content Creator for Lead Sports Co.
Sophie S.
Sophie attended the Lead Summit in 2021 and 2022 in Denver, Colorado. She is currently a rising junior at University of Cincinnati, where she continues both her athletic and academic endeavors, often leaning on skills she gained from Lead to push her to excel in all areas of her life. She is in the Lindner Business Honors schools and a variety of clubs at UC including UC SAAC and UC Inspire where she finds hobbies outside of sport as she has learned at Lead. Other Lead lessons that Sophie leans on as she has competed at Big 12’s twice and has secured several summer internships are your confidence is your responsibility, leadership is about knowing when to lead and when to follow and finding your why for sport (and all other aspects of life) can change throughout your journey. Sophie learned about the success iceberg, how all the things you see are not really all it takes to be successful, at Lead and whether she is in the pool, in the classroom or in the office, she often reminds herself of this and how most things people work through, are not often visible. Sophie carries the lessons she has learned through Lead throughout her life, this is really only the tip of the iceberg.
Lizzy W.
Lizzy was a Lead Summit attendee from 2018 through 2022. She is now a student-athlete at Brown University and was an Ivy League finalist in 2024 and 2025. Lizzy has held internships for two summers in Public Health Research and Cognitive Science fields alongside being a teaching assistant and the president of the Brown Public Health Project Committee. Lizzy regularly uses the skills she learned from Lead directly as she is a captain of the Brown Women’s Swim and Dive team. Lessons that have stuck out to her include that success isn’t linear. Giving your best on a daily basis is what counts and that is what you should truly be proud of. Another valuable lesson Lizzy gained is advocating for herself. Lead has given her the ability to develop confidence which she uses in all aspects of her life. Lead was truly a pivotal experience for Lizzy throughout her teenage years and attending summits allowed her to meet so many incredible women who have shaped her into the woman she is today!
Mara Lara H.
Mary Lara attended LEAD Summit from 2017 to 2021, in Austin, Atlanta, and Denver. Since attending, Mary Lara has gone on to pursue a Bachelors in Environmental Science and Studies at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. She has had two internships in state government and a summer at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, working in husbandry and conservation. She is trained and certified as a Wildland Firefighter for prescribed burns. LEAD helped further her understanding of grit, teamwork, and adaptability, allowing her to make the most of these opportunities. At Berry, she joined the club rowing team. Through lessons she learned at LEAD, she was empowered to try a new sport. She translated these lessons into learning to row, taking leadership roles, and teaching others. This year, she is serving as team captain and club president. LEAD taught her servant leadership, preparing her to better serve and empower her team. Through her time at LEAD, Mary Lara made connections with leadership professionals and other athletes. These connections empowered her to examine her relationship with swimming and sport, and to try a new sport in a new phase of life. While swimming will always be her first love, she credits her time at LEAD with preparing her to take on new challenges. As she applies for graduate school, the lessons of confidence, leadership, and quiet grit continue to serve her well. LEAD may only be a weekend, but for someone willing to learn, it can have a lifelong impact.
Are you a Lead Summit alumna? Want to be featured in this post? Send us an updated bio and photo - we’d love to hear from you!