NoVA’s Ultimate Female Role Model: Lindsay Trout
Nominated by: Catherine Britton
Reasons for Nomination:
Lindsay Trout is a special education teacher, student activities assistant director, and leadership teacher at South Lakes High School.
For a school that has suffered years of having a bad reputation (most recently exemplified in the school boundaries debacle, where hundreds of parents protested having their children attend South Lakes), the Reston-based high school is proud to have Lindsay Trout’s charitable efforts turn the page on negative local headlines and stigma-laden gossip surrounding the school.
One of her first major projects began in 2005, when Lindsay and her leadership class inspired the entire school and surrounding community to become involved in helping with a major national crisis. Lindsay led students and teachers in collecting food and clothes, as well as raising thousands of dollars, for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Nearly a year later, as a repeating theme, the entire school caught on to Lindsay’s passion to help others when she discovered that a student with cancer was unable to afford crucial chemotherapy treatments.
She and the student government immediately began working to help the student, and ultimately raised over $20,000 with help from the school and community.
As an extra incentive, she promised to get a Mohawk after the student body met the financial goal. As Lindsay never breaks her promise, she ended up on the front cover of the local newspaper, sporting her new do with a smile.
This year, Lindsay organized a bone marrow drive for a South Lakes Alum who had been diagnosed with leukemia. She scheduled the event during a school basketball game to attract more donors, and by 5 p.m., more than 200 people had registered.
Lindsay hasn’t single-handedly helped save these peoples lives; rather, she’s inspired those around her to join her, and donate their time and efforts to help others in need. She believes strongly in teamwork, and has the accomplishments to prove it works.
As the head organizer for all these charitable events, it’s easy to see why she teaches school’s leadership class. The student body and staff at South Lakes is constantly being inspired her new ideas to make the school and community a better place. Walking through the halls, everyone knows and respects Lindsay, and the students look up to her to advice, guidance and as a role model. In an environment that typically breeds rumors and social cliques, she demonstrates the importance of acceptance, tolerance and treating everyone equally. She doesn’t just teach, she shows.
Linsday Trout is one of Northern Virginia’s best female role models because her spirit of generosity spreads like wildfire, even faster than gossip.
More About NoVA’s Ultimate Female Role Model Lindsay Trout:
Lindsay Trout knew she was destined to become the leadership teacher at South Lakes High School since the 11th grade. She notes, “When I attended South Lakes I had a leadership teacher that meant more to me than anyone in the whole world. I knew then that I would return to the school and join the program.”
Trout relishes wearing multiple hats at the school, as a math teacher to special education students and student activities assistant director, but it’s her work with her leadership class that brings out her passion for teaching. “They are 35 of the most involved, wonderful students in the school,” Trout says of her leadership students. The class is developed around the principle of leadership by way of service, with a focus on mentoring, volunteering and fundraising.
Yet it’s Trout’s fundraising efforts that have garnered so much attention for the school in recent years. Her first major fundraising effort was in 2005, when she organized her students and the surrounding community to raise $15,000, plus food and clothing, for Hurricane Katrina victims. The following year, it came to Trout’s attention that a student at South Lakes who had been diagnosed with cancer was unable to afford medical treatment. Trout rallied her students, promising to get a Mohawk if the school could raise $20,000. She recalls, “I was shocked when they actually did it, and I found myself getting my head shaved in front of the whole school.”
Earlier this year, when Trout heard about an alumnus who had been diagnosed with leukemia, she organized a bone marrow drive which raised over $5,000 and processed over 300 donors. And, currently, she is raising money for local families impacted by muscular dystrophy. The plan is to arrest Trout during the school day, and the students will have to provide $3,000 to bail her out.
Despite all these accomplishments, Trout demurely dismisses any praise in her favor, saying, “I organize the fundraisers, but it’s my students who are the motor behind the charitable work. They are truly a service-oriented bunch of kids.”
While Trout acknowledges that her job doesn’t come without hurdles, like “constantly striving to reach every student and not being able to,” she feels privileged to serve her position, explaining, “I’ve been given more than my share of blessings and I feel I’ve been put on this planet to share those. I strive every day to share the wealth.”—Elizabeth Morgan
The Other Nominations We Received
Survey Participant:
Kaiyla Fowler
Nominee:
Nikki Kotwica
Reasons for Nomination:
Because she is the best mom and friend in the whole world.
Survey Participant:
Dave Lefeve
Nominee:
Claudia Ybarra
Reasons for Nomination:
My fiance is employed by Fairfax County Police Department , Victim Services. Claudia’s day consists of helping women who have been victimized through domestic violence by offering assistance and support to victims.
She is my role model because she comes home everyday and still continues to love her job.
Survey Participant:
Theresa Thomas
Nominee:
Amy Marasco Newton
Reasons for Nomination:
A community leader, environmentalist and businesswoman, Purcellville’s Amy Marasco Newton is the ultimate female role model. Amy co-founded a successful environmental consulting firm with her husband in Arlington. When her husband suddenly died in 2003, she started the McLean-based Newton Marasco Foundation to promote environmental stewardship and inspire youth.
Amy has been my role model and mentor since she hired me shortly after I graduated college. Now thirteen years later, I can attribute much of my professional career, advanced degree, personal, and philanthropic achievements to her guidance. All women should be so lucky to have such a seminal figure in their lives as I have in her. I am a better person because of her. I could fill up many pages about Amy. She has strength, conviction, professionalism, kindness, and passion. Every day I aspire to be the woman she is. It is for these reasons that I proudly nominate my ultimate female role model, Amy Marasco Newton.