Senior Spotlight: #18 Michelle Dear
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Andia Mareskas, MSU Athletic Communication Student Assistant
EAST LANSING, Mich. - A student. An athlete. A singer. A volunteer. These are just a few of the many roles bundled to form the extraordinary person we have come to know and love: Michelle Dear.
On the field, she is known by the jersey number she represents on her back. Off of the field, she retires #18 and transforms into this superhuman being that manages to juggle various activities -- all done without a strand of hair falling out of place.
The Chesterfield, Michigan native discovered her love for soccer at the age of four when she joined a rec league. While she dabbled in other sports throughout the years, soccer prevailed as a constant. When the opportunity to play for MSU arose, she couldn't turn it down.
"I looked at a lot of different schools, but I was into MSU," said Dear. "My dad was a Spartan, I knew I wanted to study business and be in their Honors College, and it was close to home. It was the best fit for me."
Her favorite moment thus far at MSU occurred recently at her final home game when her team defeated defending national champions Penn State, 3-1.
"It was so much fun because my whole family got to be there, I got to sing the national anthem, and just be there with my teammates and play at DeMartin one last time," said Dear.
Michelle's time here has not just been all work and no play. One of her not-so-hidden talents is singing, and she loves to share her gift every opportunity she can. While she enjoyed singing the National Anthem prior to her final game at DeMartin Stadium, it's far from the largest stage on which she has performed.
As a sophomore, Deer was one of four student-athletes chosen -- one from each of the four participating institutions -- to sing the National Anthem prior to the two semifinal games at the 2015 Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Dear, who has been taking singing lessons since she was eight, was no stranger to the big stage. She opened up for Disney stars such as Raven Symone as a 10-year-old, and used those experiences to compose herself on the biggest stage of her career.
Throughout her experience here at MSU, Michelle has been fortunate to have not just one, but several role models. She credits her coaches, directors, teammates, and parents to shaping her into the person she is today. Being a Spartan has become more than just a label, which is now evident through different layers of meaning that she has developed.
"I think being a Spartan, it sounds cliché, but it means being part of a family," remarked Dear. "I can't speak highly enough about the Spartans around me that have been so influential in everything that I've done and have really allowed me to get to where I am."
Being a four-year member of the soccer team and her status as a senior has allowed Michelle to acquire a wealth of knowledge that can prove to be valuable to the incoming freshmen of the team. She acknowledges the help that she received and wants to pass some of the things she has learned.
"Talk to everyone that you can, learn about what its like at different programs, whether it's at MSU or elsewhere, and really just take all factors into account," said Dear. "Not just the soccer aspect, but make sure you really get to know your coaches and some of the girls you'll be playing with. Really look into the perspective of academic programs as well, because you can go somewhere for soccer and get injured or maybe you don't want to play soccer anymore. You want to be somewhere you're really going to love it and have a great experience."
Academics play a huge role in Michelle's life. She is majoring in Finance and is also very involved in various groups on campus, including the exclusive Financial Markets Institute, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and the Outreach Board. Last summer, Michelle got to apply the skills she has acquired in the classroom through her investment banking internship in New York City. While she would still like to continue to play soccer in her free time, she mainly wants to shift to a career emphasis.
"I'm definitely going to enter the workforce, said Dear. "I'd love to play soccer on any teams I can find in the city I end up in, that would be a lot of fun. But I want to focus on my career."
In her free time, Michelle tries to go the extra mile and give-back to help the community around her.
"I love to get involved in any outreach activity that I can. I know its hard for us during the season, but as a team we've done some stuff and I love to help out with whatever I can. Its definitely a really rewarding part of being a Spartan," said Dear.
Involvement in so many different activities requires Michelle to use every minute of her day wisely. She credits her experience as a student-athlete to crafting a system that allows her to effectively do so.
"Being able to juggle all of that stuff has been very instrumental in helping me with the workforce and helping me to be successful in those different roles," said Dear. "I think that it can be difficult and sometimes you don't get as much rest as other people, but overall the most valuable thing I can come away from is being able to learn how to prioritize everything."
While the inevitable life changes that come along with graduation are quickly approaching, Michelle has cherished her time here at MSU and is ready for what lies ahead for her.
"It's been the best four years of my life, honestly. I'm going to miss not being able to walk into the locker room and see my teammate's every day, but I'm looking forward to a new set of challenges and the next chapter in my life, said Dear.
How she manages to handle all of these different activities is beyond comprehension, but one thing known for sure is that she has managed to make her positive and lasting mark on MSU.
