written by Augusta University student Jaylan Hayes
Sophie Baker is a catcher for Augusta University's softball team and is currently in her junior year. As a Georgia native she always knew about AU and her main reason for coming here was the medical school.
Baker's grandmother was a nurse, and she knew she wanted to follow in her footsteps. But it wasn't until age 11 when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes that she set her mind to it.
"I've had so many nurses in my life that have impacted me since then. After that I knew that is what I wanted to do," said Baker.
She has finally entered her first semester of nursing school and is feeling confident so far. She acknowledged that she's not in season yet and she's sure next semester will be even busier for her.
Baker so far has only struggled with one class so far where she doubted herself a bit, but she pushed through.
"Anatomy and Physiology was like the one hard class where I had the thought that maybe being a nurse isn't my thing but once I got through that everything's been good," said Baker.
Baker is unsure about what specialty she wants but knows that the answer will come to her the longer she's in nursing school.
With two older brothers who played baseball Baker basically grew up in a ballpark. It was only natural for her to take up softball. She's now been playing for about 16 years.
Since she started playing her biggest fan has been her mom. Going to every game and always cheering her on. Her dad also attended any game he could when not working. Baker thinks her mom will be more distraught when she's done playing than she will be.
"She definitely sacrificed a lot for me. She's the best," she said.
When she has the time Baker loves to be outdoors doing anything. She loves spending time with friends or traveling to go see her boyfriend's football games.
Her family is extremely competitive and aren't allowed to play certain games because of it. But they still find ways to compete against each other for bragging rights.
"We play a lot of pickleball. We also have a snake catching competition. My mom doesn't participate, but my dad and my brothers, we like to see who can catch the most snakes throughout the year," said Baker.
Baker's competitive nature led to one of her most embarrassing and scary moments. As a freshman in high school her brothers' friends asked her to participate in a water drinking contest. Especially because as a diabetic she drinks a lot of water, and they assumed she'd be good at it.
"I needed to win this there was money on the line and then I ended up drinking so much water that I got water intoxication. My brain was swelling, and I had to go to the hospital, Nobody ended up winning," she said.
That was probably the moment all her friends realized it's best not to challenge her because she would do anything to win.
Baker has always been a big animal lover and in high school she used to work at an animal shelter. Back home she has two dogs and five cats. With her in Augusta she has a cat named Frank.
"He is probably the meanest cat in the world but he's the most beautiful. I love him. He's the best," said Baker.
Baker knows that after this year she could possibly have a tough decision to make. It might be the first time that balancing academics and athletics could be too much. Since deciding she wanted to go to nursing school, she always knew that it might be a possibility that for her senior year she might not play softball.
While she would be sad that her softball career could end early, she also knows all good things must come to an end. She's trying not to worry about it too much as she gets ready for the upcoming season.
One thing Baker really wants people to know and understand is that just because something happens that you weren't expecting doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams.
"If you have a medical condition, that doesn't mean that it has to hold you back. You can still become an athlete if you want and can pursue your dreams. I was 11 years old when I was diagnosed, and it was a huge change. But I never let it stop me," said Baker.
Softball schedule
