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COLLEGIAN PROFILE
I was lucky to be able to write my first profile for Themis about someone I already knew. Lindy and I went to college together and I really admired her drive.
Read the profile in the online version of the magazine below, or keep scrolling to read it on this page.
Breaking barriers with dance
It's not every day you come across someone as driven and committed to service as Lindy Williamson. With support from her Delta Psi Chapter sisters and family, Lindy founded Dance for Down Syndrome (D4D), a community-wide dance held on Samford University's campus to support and raise funds for adults with developmental disabilities. This cause has always been close to Lindy's heart as her brother (pictured at left with Lindy) has Down Syndrome.
"Growing up with my brother and his friends, I recognized a good way to break the ice with the special needs community was with dance," Lindy said. "Any time you have a DJ and good music, you have a great chance to interact."
The first Dance for Downs, hosted during Lindy's sophomore year, was wildly popular. She invited people with developmental disabilities, Samford students and the Birmingham, Ala., community to a luau-themed night of dancing a breaking down barriers.
Lindy could see a change in many Samford students after D4D. "For some people, being exposed to special needs students wasn't something they were used to," she said. D4D helped her classmates realize adults with disabilities have many of the same goals they do, like masting lasting friendships and going to college.
Lindy's biggest cheerleaders were her parents, but Dr. Emily Hynds, an associate math professor, really helped get D4D on its feet. Lindy met Dr. Hynds at church in Birmingham before she started college. When Lindy needed a faculty member to represent D4D, Dr. Hynds volunteered her time and expertise.
Dr. Hynds watched Lindy grow as she directed Dance for Downs over three years. "She was always passionate, really organized and thorough, but as the event grew, she got even better at leading with confidence and [delegating] responsibilities," Dr. Hynds said.
Zetas helped decorate for the event, danced with attendees and helped clean up afterwards. "It was so cool to look across the room and see that 60 percent of the attendees were Zetas, and the other 40 percent were there because of a Zeta," Lindy said. "As a chapter, we are diverse and driven. We have a way of making others' passions our own."
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