Many mothers think their kids have star potential, but only occasionally do those dreams come true. Inspired by an episode of “Oprah,” the mom of a Watertown, New York, high school senior sent her daughter’s photo to the Ford modeling agency. The following year, Margaret Mary Rizer debuted on the New York runways and walked for more than 40 designers.

Born on January 9, 1978, the fresh-faced redhead became a fast favorite of photographers like Steven Meisel. Her astonishing range and ability to become almost anything in a photo made Maggie an editorial star and put her face on the covers of the Italian, German, Japanese, and American editions of Vogue. The girl-next-door could play the seductive face of Calvin Klein or Versace, while simultaneously convincing us as Clinique’s cheerleader. Her adeptness at shape-shifting earned Maggie the VH1 1998 “Model of the Year” award, and her day rate quickly soared to an astonishing $30,000.

As the small-town field hockey player traveled the world amassing millions, her stepfather, John Breen, was at home mishandling her finances and gambling away her money. After discovering she was broke, Maggie hired celebrity attorney Ed Hayes and eventually won a lawsuit. The $7 million settlement, however, didn’t ease her devastation, as Maggie had looked up to John as a father. Her biological father had passed away from AIDS-related illnesses in 1992, when Maggie was only 14.

Drawing on her personal tragedy, the soft-spoken Maggie found her voice as an AIDS activist. Since 1997, she has lent her celebrity and experience in support of DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). She is a regular host of the group’s most notable fund-raising event, the Viva Glam Casino party. In 2006, Maggie and Suzanne Engo set out to make “Maggie and Me,” a documentary exploring the global impact of HIV/AIDS. While the women are the same age, Suzanne comes from Cameroon, West Africa. The film aims to show the shared deep effects of the disease despite the vastly different backgrounds of the two women. Maggie’s latest endeavor, a memoir called Model Behavior, will explore the highs and lows of growing up in the world of fashion.

The former ballet dancer still loves horseback riding, snowboarding, and waterskiing. Maggie splits her time between New York City and upstate New York, where she visits her boyfriend. And although Maggie considers herself “mostly” retired, we hope her new relationship with Muse Management means otherwise.