Still think supermodels only strut Bryant Park catwalks and puff cigarettes on the Lower East Side? Half Congolese, half Cypriot model Noella Coursaris is bucking the "nothing but a pretty face" stereotype. She's using her celebrity platform to make positive social change by bankrolling schools for girls living in poverty in the Congo and working to educate the public about sexual violence against the country's women.

Her nonprofit organization, the Georges Malaika Foundation, focuses on "unlocking the potential of young African girls in the Democratic Republic of Congo through education." Coursaris recently sat down with CNN to talk about why she's so focused on education for women and girls.

Photo (cc) via Flickr user gconard