By: Katie Sanders - Glamour
They’re the winners of Glamour’s 56th annual Top 10 College Women competition.
And they just might be the CEOs, superstars, and lady legends of our future!
They’re the winners of Glamour’s 56th annual Top 10 College Women competition.
And they just might be the CEOs, superstars, and lady legends of our future!
Katherine Bomkamp, 21
For vets who are suffering, she’s a hero.
West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.; political science major
The daughter of an Air Force officer, Bomkamp was 16 when she met returning soldiers who’d lost limbs. “They’d sacrificed so much for my freedom,” she says. And she had an idea: Maybe heat could stop phantom pain, which affects about 80 percent of amputees. Using the wiring from heated hiking socks, she built her Pain Free Socket, an insert for prosthetics. The patented invention landed her in the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors; she was also the then youngest person ever to speak at the Royal Society of Medicine’s Innovation Summit, held in London. Is she obsessed? “Well, I do have the reputation on campus as ‘that military girl with the leg,’” she says.
Her goal: To start producing her invention—and to work at Google.
Her tip: Don’t let anyone tell you no. “People wrote me off,” she says. “Luckily, I didn’t listen.”
West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.; political science major
The daughter of an Air Force officer, Bomkamp was 16 when she met returning soldiers who’d lost limbs. “They’d sacrificed so much for my freedom,” she says. And she had an idea: Maybe heat could stop phantom pain, which affects about 80 percent of amputees. Using the wiring from heated hiking socks, she built her Pain Free Socket, an insert for prosthetics. The patented invention landed her in the National Gallery for America’s Young Inventors; she was also the then youngest person ever to speak at the Royal Society of Medicine’s Innovation Summit, held in London. Is she obsessed? “Well, I do have the reputation on campus as ‘that military girl with the leg,’” she says.
Her goal: To start producing her invention—and to work at Google.
Her tip: Don’t let anyone tell you no. “People wrote me off,” she says. “Luckily, I didn’t listen.”
Noorjahan Akbar, 22
She’s a poster girl for equal rights in Afghanistan. Literally.
Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.; sociology major
Akbar, who grew up in Afghanistan and Pakistan, remembers seeing a friend of hers get married and leave school—in seventh grade. “I could imagine what women looked like in fair societies, and I wanted that for my country,” she says. Her whole life has been dedicated to women’s rights. At 11 she created a homemade magazine about Afghan women and spoke at a free-press conference. Even though she came to the U.S. for high school and college, she led her country’s first-ever march against street harassment and helped open its first women-only Internet café. Her face graces billboards in Afghanistan, promoting a film about her work.
Her goal: To launch a women’s newspaper in her home country.
Her tip: “If I do something positive for women,” she says, “it affects my life too.”
Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.; sociology major
Akbar, who grew up in Afghanistan and Pakistan, remembers seeing a friend of hers get married and leave school—in seventh grade. “I could imagine what women looked like in fair societies, and I wanted that for my country,” she says. Her whole life has been dedicated to women’s rights. At 11 she created a homemade magazine about Afghan women and spoke at a free-press conference. Even though she came to the U.S. for high school and college, she led her country’s first-ever march against street harassment and helped open its first women-only Internet café. Her face graces billboards in Afghanistan, promoting a film about her work.
Her goal: To launch a women’s newspaper in her home country.
Her tip: “If I do something positive for women,” she says, “it affects my life too.”
Simone Bernstein, 21
14,000 kids have paid it forward with her help.
St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.; social entrepreneurship major
At 12, Bernstein was told she was too young for a volunteer gig. Undeterred, she found a children’s shelter that could use her. “I saw what a difference playing Monopoly with a kid could make,” she says. She launched the site volunteennation.org with her brother, and has helped match 14,000 young people around the country with service opportunities.
Her goal: To ace med school (she’s been accepted!), and fight maternal mortality.
Her tip: “Life can be a bubble,” she says. “Volunteer, and you become part of the community.”
St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.; social entrepreneurship major
At 12, Bernstein was told she was too young for a volunteer gig. Undeterred, she found a children’s shelter that could use her. “I saw what a difference playing Monopoly with a kid could make,” she says. She launched the site volunteennation.org with her brother, and has helped match 14,000 young people around the country with service opportunities.
Her goal: To ace med school (she’s been accepted!), and fight maternal mortality.
Her tip: “Life can be a bubble,” she says. “Volunteer, and you become part of the community.”
Cara Eckholm, 21
She’s out-talked opponents from 30 countries.
Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.; public and international affairs major
You don’t want to pick a fight with Cara Eckholm. A member of Princeton’s politics and debate club (and former president), she’s beaten hundreds of foes from around the world, on topics ranging from censorship to sustainable development. “I joined my high school debate team,” she says, “and I fell in love with increasing political engagement through discussion.” Beyond the podium, she’s coached teams of inner-city New Jersey high school students and sits on The Daily Princetonian’s editorial board.
Her goal: To land a Supreme Court seat.
Why not? She went to the same high school and college as Justice Elena Kagan.
Her tip: “Take an adventure,” she says. “Sometimes you need a break from your norm to get perspective on what matters most.”
Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.; public and international affairs major
You don’t want to pick a fight with Cara Eckholm. A member of Princeton’s politics and debate club (and former president), she’s beaten hundreds of foes from around the world, on topics ranging from censorship to sustainable development. “I joined my high school debate team,” she says, “and I fell in love with increasing political engagement through discussion.” Beyond the podium, she’s coached teams of inner-city New Jersey high school students and sits on The Daily Princetonian’s editorial board.
Her goal: To land a Supreme Court seat.
Why not? She went to the same high school and college as Justice Elena Kagan.
Her tip: “Take an adventure,” she says. “Sometimes you need a break from your norm to get perspective on what matters most.”
Margaret Gilroy, 21
By the time you get out of bed, she’s trained 1,200 midshipmen.
United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.; systems engineering major
Gilroy is always on the run. As the lone brigade training sergeant in charge of freshmen, she hops out of bed at 5:25 A.M. to oversee 1,000 sailors- and Marines-to-be in their workout and inspections. And that’s just her warm-up: The captain of the women’s marathon team, she runs up to 20 miles daily and has 10 marathons under her belt. She’s also cofounder of her local Girls on the Run program. “To elementary kids, a 5K is like a marathon,” she says. “To see them destroy this challenge is unbelievable.”
Her goal: To be among the Navy’s first female submariners and complete 100 marathons.
Her tip: Push yourself—and others. “It’s all about telling someone, ‘You can do that,’ when they don’t think they can,” she says.
United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.; systems engineering major
Gilroy is always on the run. As the lone brigade training sergeant in charge of freshmen, she hops out of bed at 5:25 A.M. to oversee 1,000 sailors- and Marines-to-be in their workout and inspections. And that’s just her warm-up: The captain of the women’s marathon team, she runs up to 20 miles daily and has 10 marathons under her belt. She’s also cofounder of her local Girls on the Run program. “To elementary kids, a 5K is like a marathon,” she says. “To see them destroy this challenge is unbelievable.”
Her goal: To be among the Navy’s first female submariners and complete 100 marathons.
Her tip: Push yourself—and others. “It’s all about telling someone, ‘You can do that,’ when they don’t think they can,” she says.
Otana Jakpor, 19
Her mission: to help 38 million people breathe easier.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles; global health and biological sciences double major
As a kid, Jakpor watched her mom suffer from asthma so severe it required frequent hospitalizations. So when Jakpor learned that her hometown of Riverside, California, had some of the nastiest pollution in the country, she took action, testifying at the California Air Resources Board and conducting her own air-quality experiments. “I got good at begging friends to come to my house, eat cookies, and be a test subject in my science projects,” she says. Her studies earned her citations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House.
Her goal: To be a doctor (like her mom!) and help pass national clean-air laws.
Her tip: “Do what matters to you,” she says. “When you truly care about it, you’ll have great results.”
University of Southern California, Los Angeles; global health and biological sciences double major
As a kid, Jakpor watched her mom suffer from asthma so severe it required frequent hospitalizations. So when Jakpor learned that her hometown of Riverside, California, had some of the nastiest pollution in the country, she took action, testifying at the California Air Resources Board and conducting her own air-quality experiments. “I got good at begging friends to come to my house, eat cookies, and be a test subject in my science projects,” she says. Her studies earned her citations from the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House.
Her goal: To be a doctor (like her mom!) and help pass national clean-air laws.
Her tip: “Do what matters to you,” she says. “When you truly care about it, you’ll have great results.”
Grace Young, 20
She builds robots that explore the world’s farthest-flung places.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; ocean engineering major
Technically speaking, Young never graduated high school—she was accepted to MIT at 17. Her niche? Robotics, a subject she fell for as a little girl in her great-grandfather’s Ohio chocolate factory. “I watched the machines stir, melt, mold, and wrap chocolates,” says Young, who juggles up to seven classes a semester and spent last spring break volunteering at a girls’ science school in the Congo. “My uncle was always tinkering with things, and I wanted to do it too.” Now she builds marine robots that explore oceans; one mapped part of the underside of Antarctic sea ice.
Her goal: To build ‘bots that help combat climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
Her tip: She lives by this quote by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, which she penciled on her bedroom wall: “Do something you’re not ready to do. In the worst case you’ll learn your limitations.”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; ocean engineering major
Technically speaking, Young never graduated high school—she was accepted to MIT at 17. Her niche? Robotics, a subject she fell for as a little girl in her great-grandfather’s Ohio chocolate factory. “I watched the machines stir, melt, mold, and wrap chocolates,” says Young, who juggles up to seven classes a semester and spent last spring break volunteering at a girls’ science school in the Congo. “My uncle was always tinkering with things, and I wanted to do it too.” Now she builds marine robots that explore oceans; one mapped part of the underside of Antarctic sea ice.
Her goal: To build ‘bots that help combat climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
Her tip: She lives by this quote by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, which she penciled on her bedroom wall: “Do something you’re not ready to do. In the worst case you’ll learn your limitations.”
Micah Schure, 20
This is Micah. Beyoncé is her fan.
Emerson College, Boston; communications major
With a music-publicist mom and guitar-playing dad, Schure grew up in a house full of tunes. (She recorded her first song, “Hot Woman, Strong Woman,” in her basement at age nine.) She’s since performed her original pop across the country, including at a fund-raiser with Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. When Beyoncé heard Schure’s single, “Rebel,” she told her, “You have a beautiful voice, and you are killing the guitar. You’re super talented!”
Her goal: To perform with John Mayer. “He wrote on my lyrics book: ‘Keep writing and cross out nothing. It all means something!’ ” she says. “I completely lost it.”
Her tip: Know, and nurture, what you’re good at. “Everyone has one thing that makes them a genius,” she says. “Focus on it.”
Emerson College, Boston; communications major
With a music-publicist mom and guitar-playing dad, Schure grew up in a house full of tunes. (She recorded her first song, “Hot Woman, Strong Woman,” in her basement at age nine.) She’s since performed her original pop across the country, including at a fund-raiser with Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. When Beyoncé heard Schure’s single, “Rebel,” she told her, “You have a beautiful voice, and you are killing the guitar. You’re super talented!”
Her goal: To perform with John Mayer. “He wrote on my lyrics book: ‘Keep writing and cross out nothing. It all means something!’ ” she says. “I completely lost it.”
Her tip: Know, and nurture, what you’re good at. “Everyone has one thing that makes them a genius,” she says. “Focus on it.”
Alice Lee, 21
She got 80,000 people to look at her résumé. In just five days.
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; operations and information management major
Growing up in Silicon Valley, Lee was “always jail-breaking Pokémon on Game Boy, doing the things you’re not supposed to do,” she says. In 2011 she took a semester off to intern at Foursquare in New York City and travel to Ethiopia, where she shot photos that helped raise $50,000 for schools there. A year later she built a Web résumé, “Dear Instagram,” hoping to combine her loves of tech and photography with a gig at the company. In a week her site had 80,000 views, and Lee was on the phone with the company’s CEO. After graduating in three years, she’s now the youngest product designer at file-sharing service Dropbox.
Her goal: To win hackathons, manage start-ups, and chronicle it all on, yes, Instagram (@byalicelee).
Her tip: Learn a new skill each season. “This spring I’m mastering digital painting,” she says.
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; operations and information management major
Growing up in Silicon Valley, Lee was “always jail-breaking Pokémon on Game Boy, doing the things you’re not supposed to do,” she says. In 2011 she took a semester off to intern at Foursquare in New York City and travel to Ethiopia, where she shot photos that helped raise $50,000 for schools there. A year later she built a Web résumé, “Dear Instagram,” hoping to combine her loves of tech and photography with a gig at the company. In a week her site had 80,000 views, and Lee was on the phone with the company’s CEO. After graduating in three years, she’s now the youngest product designer at file-sharing service Dropbox.
Her goal: To win hackathons, manage start-ups, and chronicle it all on, yes, Instagram (@byalicelee).
Her tip: Learn a new skill each season. “This spring I’m mastering digital painting,” she says.
Julie Johnston, 21
She’s the LeBron James of soccer. (Or is he the “Julie Johnston of basketball”?)
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif.; communications major
“I didn’t grow up in a flashy place,” says Mesa, Arizona, native Johnston. “I wanted to push myself.” The All-American led the U-20 women’s national soccer team to World Cup victory last year, and has trained with the national team. Says Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith of his top scorer: “It’s like watching LeBron play basketball. She runs the game.”
Her goal: “I’ll be as proud to graduate as I would to win the World Cup,” she says.
Her tip: “Once you pick your dream, you have to sacrifice to get there,” she says.
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif.; communications major
“I didn’t grow up in a flashy place,” says Mesa, Arizona, native Johnston. “I wanted to push myself.” The All-American led the U-20 women’s national soccer team to World Cup victory last year, and has trained with the national team. Says Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith of his top scorer: “It’s like watching LeBron play basketball. She runs the game.”
Her goal: “I’ll be as proud to graduate as I would to win the World Cup,” she says.
Her tip: “Once you pick your dream, you have to sacrifice to get there,” she says.
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