April 18 - Cassie Smith (she comes from a large, ethnically-diverse family)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Over the spring and summer, we will be profiling members of the Eastern Kentucky soccer team. Next up: rising junior Makenna Sullivan.
 
Makenna, a pre-occupational science major from St. Francis, Minnesota, has been a consistent contributor on the EKU backline, starting 27 games at outside back in her first two seasons in Richmond.
 
But, did you know Makenna is a member of an exclusive club called 'Leaplings' or 'Leapers' or, probably most commonly, 'Leap-Year Babies'?
 
Makenna Sullivan: I was born on Leap Day, February 29, 1996. So far, I have only had five actual birthdays, and I just had one this year for my 20^th birthday.
 
EKUSports: Happy fifth birthday!
 
MS: Thank you. It was pretty cool. I usually celebrate my birthday on February 28, because it's in the same month, but legally I do believe it is March 1^st.
 
ES: Why is that?
 
MS: I can't be born the day before I was born, but I could be the day after.
 
ES: (confused)
 
ES: Do you get a lot of jokes about being only five years old?
 
MS: Yeah, I hear a lot of "the youngest has to go do it," and everyone looks at me to go do something. I'm never technically the youngest; they will just use my birthday as an excuse for me to do it.
 
ES: That's funny. Obviously you have done some research on this. How rare is being a Leap-Year Baby? Do you know any another Leaplings?
 
MS: I have only ever met one other person who has the same birthday as me, and he was actually in my high school graduating class.
 
ES: I don't know if I have ever met a Leap-Year Baby before you. It's pretty unique. Do you like it? It has to be pretty cool, right?
 
MS: I like it a lot! But, sometimes I don't because people forget your birthday because it doesn't show up on the calendar. It doesn't show up on Facebook. I don't get Birthday Perks emails from restaurants because my birthday doesn't exist three out of four years. Other than that, though, it's super fun to tell people.
 
ES: I imagine it's a great conversation starter ... and useful for activities like this that requite a fun fact!
 
MS: Yeah, it's kind of always my fun fact. It's definitely my go-to.