Athlete opportunities given at luncheon

“[It was] a good opportunity to get real-world experience from women who play at a high level and went on to create their own businesses.”

On October 2, members of both girls and boys soccer teams, multiple football players, and many AP Leadership students attended a luncheon sponsored by the Women’s Business Center at Lake Michigan College. At this milestone event—it was the 15 year anniversary of the Women’s Business Center—two former professional women’s soccer players and Midwest natives Ms. Lindsay Tarpley and Ms. Leslie Osborne visited and spoke to assorted students from local high schools about their lives.

Mr. Colin Uren, social studies teacher and JV girls soccer coach at SJHS, thought the event was a great chance for student-athletes to get a personal perspective of their futures. 

“[It was] a good opportunity to get real-world experience from women who play at a high level and went on to create their own businesses,” he said. 

photo by aeryn hart

photo by aeryn hart

Ms. Tarpley and Ms. Osborne presented their makeup brand Sweat Cosmetics to a group of students from St. Joe, Lakeshore, and other surrounding schools. Ms. Tarpley won her first gold medal at 19 and her second at 20 years old. But not long after, she suffered a career-ending knee injury. She was teammates with Ms. Osborne on Team USA at 15 years old. She also faced a severe injury after making the 2008 Olympic Team—a torn ACL. Both women decided to take their new lives and profit together. A gap in the athletic makeup market led to the creation of Sweat Cosmetics, which they explained in-depth to the attendees of the luncheon. One of those attendees, Ariana Burgeson, 10, enjoyed the presentation as a whole for the stories of the speakers. 

“Overall, it was really empowering and very motivating,” Ariana said. She was among many other female soccer players that went to the event, along with football and basketball players and some multi-sport AP Leadership students.