Miss Minnesota

Nicole Cristina Swanson

What is your hometown like?
My family has lived in Lakeville since I was 2 weeks old, so I've witnessed first-hand its growth. New schools, housing developments and retail establishments are constantly sprouting up. Just south of the Twin Cities, Lakeville is a close-knit community and was named No. 4 among Frommer's Top 100 Best Places to Raise Your Family in 2006.

What were you like when you were a child?
I was always the tall bookworm who played the viola. I guess some things never change!

Who is the most influential person in your life?
My mom -- clich�but true. She's the sounding board for all my ideas and encourages me to live my life with passion and priorities.

What is one thing about you that people you meet may not immediately realize?
I can brew and steam a stellar latte, thanks to a year working for Minneapolis-based Caribou Coffee.

What was one defining moment in your life?
On Aug. 2, 1998, I performed Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 as a member of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan. At the conclusion of the piece (which depicts the Russian Revolution of 1905), the entire audience remained still, and weeping could be heard. At that time, I fully apprehended music's power to transcend time and tell the story of humanity.

What was one defining moment in your life?
Flexibility and good organizational skills make life exceedingly more enjoyable.