Natalie Cummins (’25) knows sibling rivalry very well. In fact, it almost impacted her college decision.
“I told myself I don’t want to go where my older brother went,” she said.
He attended Nebraska Wesleyan, but after a campus visit and meeting SM̳’s former soccer coach Jen Dyson, her resistance crumbled. "Jen made a really big point that I could do both soccer and nursing here. SM̳ has a great way to balance both, and that's the main reason I chose here."
That decision set the stage for a college career defined by a pursuit of balance and a few unexpected turns. Cummins has excelled as a two-sport athlete in soccer and track and has navigated the rigorous demands of a nursing major, all while working on campus and preparing for a career in the PICU.
The first unexpected turn came from a Tweet her dad sent her. “He sent me a video of an athlete I knew doing the long jump and said, ‘You could jump this,’” Cummins said.
She was surprised because she was recruited as a soccer player, a sport she dedicated herself to since childhood, and track and field wasn’t on her radar, but now it was.
Intrigued, she reached out to Josh Wall, then SM̳'s jumps coach, who encouraged her to give it a try. "He said, 'I know you haven't done it in a while, but you're athletic, and I know you can do it.'"
The next unexpected turn came during her junior year. She was part of the 4x400 meter relay team that earned All-American honors at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships. The achievement was particularly sweet because of a bet she had made with her dad years earlier.
"He said if I ever got an All-American, he'd buy me a new car," she said. "For soccer, the likelihood was pretty small. But when I moved to track, I thought, 'If I get on a relay and we do well at nationals, I could get an All-American.'" She did, and her dad held up his end of the deal.
Balancing two sports with a nursing major is no small feat. Nursing is notoriously demanding, with clinicals often requiring 12-hour shifts. But Cummins has always been a master of time management. Before college, she was a gymnast, logging 20 hours of practice each week on top of school. "I've just always been used to prioritizing what I need to do," she said.
Cummins has leaned on her faith and the people around her, even in her toughest moments. "Junior year was definitely a lot on my mental health, both sport-wise and academically," she said. "But I attribute a lot of my success to my faith, my parents, my teammates, and my coaches."
Her parents have been her biggest cheerleaders, encouraging her to take risks and celebrating her achievements. Her coaches have gone above and beyond to accommodate her busy schedule. And her teammates have become like family. "This season, I've had a lot of my soccer teammates come watch me at track meets," she said. "It's been awesome to have them see that side of me."
SM̳ provides resources and support for student athletes like Cummins to succeed. Each semester, Cummins sends her clinical schedule to her coaches, who work with her to adjust training times. "I always had to lift on my own because I had class or clinical," she said. "But the professors here do an amazing job allowing students to do both. They really want us to be involved on campus because that brings the camaraderie and community of our school."
Cummins is preparing to graduate this spring and begin her career as an PICU nurse. "I don't really know any different than being busy," she said. "But I would tell anyone who wants to do it to just go for it. If there's a will, there's a way. You might have to sacrifice some parts of the college experience, but in the end, it's worth it."
As Cummins competes in her final track season, she's reflecting on the unexpected twists and turns in her journey: an All-American award, a new car, landing her dream job and balancing two sports.
Sometimes betting on yourself pays off, even in a sibling rivalry.