Four years of varsity soccer, Student Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB), Gustie buddies, Study Buddies, the Elders program, Senior Class Legacy Committee, Chemistry Tutor and Teaching Assistant; this long list consists of all the things Senior Chemistry Major Chelsea Bayer has been involved in during her three and a half years here at Gustavus. However, Chelsea, a Rogers, Minn. native, has not only participated in but also excelled at many of the things on this list. “Bayer has great leadership qualities. She is positive, uplifting, encouraging and competes with intensity. We saw this everyday with her this past fall.” Women’s Soccer Coach Mike Sehlik said.

Chelsea said out of the list of things she’s done at Gustavus, soccer is probably her favorite. “It’s always been a part of my life, and it’s really great here. We just have a really awesome group of girls,” Chelsea said. “The volunteer stuff I’ve done has been rewarding, and I’ve enjoyed it a lot, too.”

Chelsea likes to be involved in all these activities. “I think I’d rather have my plate overflowing. I like to stay busy. It’s never been a challenge for me. The busier I am, the better I do,” she said.

Being involved in all these activities has not inhibited Chelsea’s academic performance. She is a senior chemistry pre-med major and religion minor. She has been very successful in her studies and is currently in the midst of choosing a medical school to continue on her path to becoming a doctor.

Chelsea’s strong focus on her academics has not gone unnoticed by those around her. “Through living with her, I was able to see first-hand the hard work and dedication she put into her MCAT preparations and medical school search. It has been really inspiring to see how her hard work is paying off as she moves forward in the process,” Chelsea’s roommate and Senior Communication Studies Major Lacey Squier said.

After medical school, Chelsea hopes to become a family physician. She said this area of medicine appeals to her because she’s a people person and wants to build more long-term relationships with her patients.

Even though all of Chelsea’s academic and extra curricular successes may look quite exhausting and overwhelming to most of us, Chelsea’s advice to Gustavus students is simple: “Live it up. Go to everything you can and enjoy. Have fun. Don’t worry about school because school will always be there and it will come.”

Although these words seem contradictory to her accomplishments on paper, Chelsea’s friends shed light on her enjoyable and playful personality and friendship. ”Chelsea and I were section mates my first year. On the first night I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom and she came in and said, ‘Hi! I’m Chelsea,’ I didn’t recognize her as someone from our section and I thought she was just some weird person who decided to brush her teeth in someone else’s section, so I just awkwardly said hi and walked out. Luckily she didn’t hold it against me and was extremely friendly and welcoming to me in the following weeks. We continued to get to know each other and we have been best friends ever since. This story exemplifies how kind and friendly Chelsea is and how she is always willing to go out of her way to be the greatest friend and person she can be,” Senior Psychology and Dance major Leah McEllstrem said.

“She is a person you always want to be around because she makes everyone welcome and values everyone’s contribution to a group. Also, she will send you a Harry Potter postcard from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, even if you don’t like Harry Potter and call you a muggle. THAT is a caring friend,” Senior Geography Major Aubrey Austin said.

“It has been really inspiring to see how her hard work is paying off as she moves forward in the education process. I think she approaches her friendships with a similar dedication and loyalty, which is what makes her such a great friend, and a great Gustie,” Squier said.

Being almost complete with her undergraduate time at Gustavus, Chelsea describes her time at Gustavus as “Fast! Everyone keeps making jokes about the last first day of this or that, and I say stop it!” She added, “I was recently at an interview at University of Washington for Medical school.

Around the room, everyone was from Harvard or Yale, you know, ivy league schools, and I was from Gustavus. Sitting there made me completely confident in my choice to go to Gustavus Adophus College.”