It’s very obvious to me why even an academically minded teenage girl would want to do this. Nearly all teen girls (and a lot of women!) suffer from body image insecurity, and to have someone (a stranger who knows what they’re talking about!) approach her and tell her that she stands out in a good way answers a lot of that insecurity. It’s flattering, and it marks her as special in some way. Who doesn’t want that?
And on some level, there is the fame component. Many of us, whether we acknowledge it openly, do desire a measure of fame. As a teen, she is especially vulnerable to this.
Make sure she understands the risk of becoming known. If this were my child, I’d worry more about her becoming successful than failing at it or quitting.