With shoulder-length brown hair and a big heart, sophomore Alli Lindenberg sees the beauty in other people, as well as herself. She sees what girls can accomplish when they come together and leave stereotypes at the door.

She wasn’t always like this. She used to be unsure of herself and compared herself to everyone else. But through I Am That Girl (IATG), Lindenberg has turned self-doubt into self-love, has grown in confidence and has learned to appreciate those around her.

IATG is a community, a support system and a movement inspiring girls to love and be who they are. It was founded by Alexis Jones out of her University of Southern California dorm room six years ago as a way to provide a safe space for open and honest conversations. It now has 110 chapters in 13 different countries.

“It is a movement inspiring girls everywhere to express love and be who they are and to create community for girls to turn self doubt into self love,” Lindenberg said. “If we can create this space for people to feel safe and vulnerable and express who they really are and not what they should be, it’s really powerful.”

When she was in high school, Lindenberg found the organization through actress Sophia Bush’s Twitter account. She immediately fell in love with the message of the organization: to change girl culture. Lindenberg was inspired to create IATG’s first high school chapter in her hometown of Greensboro.

Now, she has brought it to Elon University. At Elon, Lindenberg said she saw girls behaving like her old self and decided to change that by bringing IATG to campus.

“I recognized from the beginning that there were so many incredible girls, and everyone had this façade that they had it all together, which I knew was not true,” Lindenberg said.

The start of a movement

It started in West 216, Lindenberg’s first-year residence hall.

When it first started, it was just a group of eight girls huddled in a dorm room discussing, learning and growing. These discussions took off and became an official Elon organization with an adviser, meeting room and executive board.

The road to bringing the organization to campus began in early Oct. 2013. A combination of paperwork, approval and finding an adviser held off any official meetings until fall 2014.

IATG has taken off in full force, receiving 192 email signatures from the fall Organization Fair. More than 70 women showed up to the interest meeting, leaving Lindenberg nervous, fearing that she would not be able to properly relay her passion for the organization.

She proved herself wrong. Girls continued coming to meetings and even took a self-defense class together. Plans to expand their reach are underway.

Each week there is a new topic to discuss, ranging from body image to sex to the pressures of being in college.

“I originally came because Alli was my friend, and it was a chance to hang out as a group,” said sophomore and IATG Vice President of Marketing Nicole Molkentin. “But I stayed for the conversation and because I grew to love the organization.”

Who’s your superwoman?

On Tuesday in Moseley 212, 60 girls sat in a circle and waited for Lindenberg to lead this week’s discussion.

The topic: the superwoman complex. The theme revolved around how women, especially those in college, are expected by others and themselves to manage multiple roles without breaking a sweat.

“Who do you consider to be a superwoman?” Lindenberg asked to open the discussion.

Responses poured in. “My mom. She always picks up the phone, and I can always count on her.”

“My aunt who put herself first and defied women stereotypes.”

“Tina Fey.”

“College girls in general. We are always doing something.”

“Where do these pressures come from?” and “How can we make goals that stretch us but don’t overdo us?” followed.

Girls spoke of how hard it is watching everyone seem to have it together and of the struggles that weigh them down.

To wrap up the meeting, members gave “you are that girl” shout outs, giving respect to times when a group member embodied IATG. They left with a conversation to think about and to grow from.

“My favorite aspect is that it’s no longer just my close friends,” said sophomore Vice President of Communications Bekah Richin. “We have so many women involved. I feel that I have grown in some ways even when I speak by listening to others.”

Talk brainy to me 

On Nov. 1, girls across the country involved in IATG will post pictures of themselves reading, solving equations or doing a chemistry equation with the hashtag #lovemeformymind.

The social media campaign will combat the concept that women and society put value on what women look like rather than what their minds hold.

Throughout the year, girls and professors who are doing incredible things on Elon’s campus, not just those involved with a specific organization, will be interviewed for Elon’s IATG chapter’s YouTube series “Hello Lovely” to participate in the national movement.

Topics will include body image and balanced living. The series will answer questions designed to represent IATG.

The best of the best 

To expand her leadership skills, Lindenberg attended an IATG retreat Oct. 10-13 in Malibu, California. Those three days, two founders, 15 leaders and one space provided inspiration for her.

During the retreat Lindenberg connected with the other 14 leaders.

“Everyone just vibed and clicked,” Lindenberg said. “The amount of love and support I felt this weekend everyone deserves to feel. I want everyone in my chapter to feel this way.”

Through poetry sessions, bonding and conversation, the attendees participated in activities to get to know themselves better and fall back in love with the movement.

Speakers like Bobby Bailey, co-founder of Invisible Children Inc., spoke of the importance of storytelling.

The surprise guest was Sophia Bush, who played the feisty, empowered Brooke on the television series “One Tree Hill” and now stars in “Chicago P.D.”

A driving force for the creation of IATG, Bush spoke of how these women can be agents for change and how to shape girl culture.

When asked about her character Brooke, she described how she was tired of playing a mean, one-dimensional teenage girl without a background story and worked with the producers to change that and make Brooke multidimensional and complex.

“She is so cool,” Lindenberg said of Bush. “This organization wouldn’t be where it is without her.”

Lindenberg will use what she learned that weekend to continue to change girl culture and expand her chapter. She plans on working toward showing how each member is appreciated through “lady dates” and showering individuals with love.

“There’s space for everyone,” she said in regards to the tensions between women. “When we collaborate, it’s far better than when we compete.