It all started on September 11,
1994, right around the corner from Michigan State University at Sparrow
Hospital. I, Nicole Baumer, was born there with my twin sister Kate to two
crazy but cool parents; we were surrounded by our loud-mouthed family, all
dying to get a picture with the matching little “peanuts.”
Though Kate and I were both raised
to bleed green, love God, and have passion in everything we do, we are as opposite
as night is to day, as Joan Jett is to Barbie. We love and understand each
other more than anyone else ever could, but also frequently want to strangle
each other.
As kids, we frequently attended MSU
football, basketball, and hockey games decked out the latest Spartan appliqué
sweatshirts (courtesy of our mother), screen-printed shoe laces, and plastic
pom-poms. One might say this is where my “spirit” at MSU football games comes
from. We grew up learning that there was nothing better than a smashed,
plastic-wrapped hot dog from the concession stand, and splitting an ice cream
sandwich three ways with dad was a delicacy. To this day, I enjoy nothing more
than chomping down on one of these treats as our student section cheers the
Spartans to victory!
Whether I was in them or watching
them, sports taught me many life lessons. I learned at an early age that
“sharing is caring,” even if my teammates would not pass me the basketball
because I was the only girl on the team.
I also learned to “suck it up” and be strong-willed. Sports taught me to
know the difference between when I should
fight for something versus when I could
fight for something. (Those darn referees were just so unfair.) Out of all of these lessons, however, I value my work
ethic the most. My coaches, teammates, and rivals taught me that if I want
something, I have to work for it. If I am not born with it, I earn it. Everyone
starts at the bottom, and you pay your dues to get to the top. Not being a star
in sports has definitely kept my ego down, and I attribute my lack of sheer
talent to God because He knew I would get a big head otherwise.
Throughout high school, I juggled
my loves of singing, acting, lacrosse, and God through extracurricular
activities. These continue to be passions of mine, but it has been harder to
find outlets in college. My senior year of high school was my year of pride: I
sang in the top two choirs, I earned the lead in our fall musical, I started
every game in lacrosse, I led my church’s youth group every Sunday, and to top
it off, I received an acceptance letter and an Academic Scholars Program
invitation from the best university in the nation!
Today, as an Advertising and Public
Relations major, I focus a lot on politics, studies, and friends. My besties are girls that keep coming back into my life, so I know they're the real deal. :) My best friend of all time, though, is my mom (even though I'm a daddy's girl). She is my sunshine, and I couldn't imagine life without her. She's such an awesome, strong leader, so I guess I'm okay if I am a lot like her. ;) I am looking
into the Greek world for opportunities and support, and am also balancing a job
at the State of Michigan, which I have had for a year and a half (it is a big improvement
from my previous job at McDonald’s). As a “born and raised” Michigander and
“tried and true” Spartan, I have had some of the most inspirational and insightful
experiences of my life within Michigan’s capital city. In the same respect, my
experiences have been limited to the surrounding geographical borders, and I hope
to expand beyond them and improve my cultural understanding so I can rely less
on stereotypes and more on personal observations.
Though Kate and I were both raised
to bleed green, love God, and have passion in everything we do, we are as opposite
as night is to day, as Joan Jett is to Barbie. We love and understand each
other more than anyone else ever could, but also frequently want to strangle
each other.
Whether I was in them or watching
them, sports taught me many life lessons. I learned at an early age that
“sharing is caring,” even if my teammates would not pass me the basketball
because I was the only girl on the team.
I also learned to “suck it up” and be strong-willed. Sports taught me to
know the difference between when I should
fight for something versus when I could
fight for something. (Those darn referees were just so unfair.) Out of all of these lessons, however, I value my work
ethic the most. My coaches, teammates, and rivals taught me that if I want
something, I have to work for it. If I am not born with it, I earn it. Everyone
starts at the bottom, and you pay your dues to get to the top. Not being a star
in sports has definitely kept my ego down, and I attribute my lack of sheer
talent to God because He knew I would get a big head otherwise. 
