SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Twin sisters return to Minot for family
MINOT, N.D. – Twin sisters born and raised in Minot have now graduated from Minot State University together.
Lauren Busch and Alicia Kubas are first-generation college students who continued their education at MSU to be closer to their parents and two other siblings and to start their own families and lives here.
“We were born and raised here in Minot and graduated from Minot High School in 2019. We have two other siblings that both live in Minot, and our parents are high school sweethearts who have been together for 39 years,” said Busch.
After graduating high school, both sisters moved away from Minot to attend college in Bismarck. After a short time, they realized it was not for them and wanted to move closer to home.
“We initially started our college career at the University of Mary as biology majors, and after visiting home so often to see our family, my twin sister and I decided to transfer to Minot State University to be closer to home,” explained Kubas. “We always knew what Minot State had to offer after growing up in Minot, and it was an easy decision. We ended up doing a semester as biology majors, but this was during the start of COVID, and we both felt like that wasn’t the right fit anymore.
“In the midst of this, we both decided to pursue exercise science and rehabilitation as our major.”
Making this shift in majors was something that they both felt fit them perfectly, but they attribute it to different occurrences in life.
“During my sophomore year, I decided that I still wanted to help people, but wanted to do more hands-on work, such as physical therapy,” Busch said. “I then switched my major to exercise science and rehabilitation. My sister and I then decided that we would pursue physical therapy in hopes that we could open our own practice one day together. I’ve always wanted to do work in the medical field from an early age and doing more medical based classes in high school kind of solidified that for me.”
Kubas attributed her desire to pursue her degree to watching healthcare professionals helping their mother while the twins were in elementary and high school.
“Our mom had a big influence on our choice to switch majors. Our mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease when we were in elementary school, and by the time we were seniors in high school, she was living at Trinity Nursing Home,” Kubas said. “Seeing this shift happen to one of the most important people in my life really influenced how I saw physical therapy and the impact that it can have for some people. Both Lauren and I have worked at Somerset Court, an assisted living facility in town, since our senior year of high school (full time) and have seen the effects that physical therapy can have on not only athletes but also older adults.”
They both agree they are grateful for the help they have received from their advisor and professor, Beth Marschner.
“My advisor, Beth Marschner, had a heavy influence on my decision to go the physical therapy track. When I first switched my major, I wasn’t sure what specific track I wanted to pursue,” said Busch. “After being in some of Beth’s classes and hearing her own ‘tangents’ about working as a physical therapist, it made me realize that that was something I wanted to do. She’s an amazing professor/advisor and is one of my biggest influences in our field.”
“One of the biggest influences has got to be Beth Marschner. She has been an incredible professor to learn from, and she really was a big advocate for the both of us during our time at Minot State,” Kubas added. “She made physical therapy seem so rewarding and fun and she really did make a lasting impact on not only my education but also as a person.”
They also both agree the time they spent at MSU contributed to their successful academic careers.
“All of the professors I’ve had wanted to see me succeed in the exercise science and rehabilitation program and with my goals after my time at Minot State,” Kubas said. “The education that I got during my time in this program was top notch and having so many classes emphasized a hands-on approach was very beneficial.”
“My time at MSU was fantastic. Every professor I’ve had — especially in the kinesiology department — has been phenomenal and has only ever wanted me to succeed,” Busch added. “The classes that I have taken in my major have prepared me immensely for my future endeavors of going to grad school.”
Going forward, they both plan to apply the knowledge they gained at MSU and earn future degrees. And with their family-first ideology, there wasn’t much variation in each answer to the question of what the future holds for these inseparable siblings.
“The next step for me is to attend graduate school and hopefully get my doctorate in physical therapy,” said Busch.
“The next step for me is attending grad school so I can get my doctor of physical therapy degree,” said Kubas.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 05/17/24
