Lindsey Arruda ’24
Biology
Music
At Providence College, Lindsey Arruda found a home that encouraged her to pursue a diverse set of academic interests and nurtured her commitment to community service.
As a double major in biology and music, she balances lab requirements with musical performance hours. She also makes time for extensive charity work and her duties as Miss Providence.
“Being able to study both bio and music was definitely a big factor to why I chose PC, as well as being accepted into the Honors Program. But what really convinced me was the sense of community and importance of giving back and helping others. PC was the first place I toured, and I had a feeling that I would end up here,” said Lindsey.
Community service has long been a focus for Lindsey. When she was in sixth grade, her family overslept and witnessed the Boston Marathon bombing on their television in Somerset, Massachusetts, instead of from their usual vantage point at the finish line. Inspired by the onlookers and first responders who put their own safety at risk to help the injured, she designed iconic blue and yellow “Boston Strong” wristbands that were a symbol of hope to many and raised thousands of dollars for the survivors.
Lindsey said this success “sparked the charity bug.” To expand their impact, Lindsey and her brother established the We Stand Strong Foundation to help those suffering from tragedies and natural disasters worldwide. The foundation’s We See You campaign collected new and gently used glasses valued at more than $400,000 for Syrian refugees. Their most recent project, Ukraine Strong wristbands, is raising funds for the Ukraine Crisis Relief at Global Giving.
In part due to her work with We Stand Strong, Arruda was presented with the Congressional Award gold medal in Washington, D.C., in 2022. The Congressional Award has levels of achievement that involve goals in the program’s four areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. The gold medal is the highest level of achievement and requires hundreds of documented hours in each program area.
Lindsey’s interest in public service and her musical talents also helped her earn the title of Miss Providence in 2023 and place as the second runner up in Miss Rhode Island scholarship pageant. Before that, she won Miss Fall River in November 2021 and placed in the top 10 of Miss Massachusetts in 2022.
Lindsey has not decided whether her career focus will be medicine or music. But she knows community service always will be an important part of her life.
More About Lindsey:
