Welcome to NICO s Extended Donor Profile NICO voluntarily provided the following information which will be disclosed to future parents as an aid in their selection General Information and characteristics Ethnicity: English, French, German, Irish Height: 6 3 Weight: 198 lbs Shoe size: 10½ Clothing size: Large shirt, Tall/Slim fit Skin tone: Medium Eyebrows: Light brown Beard: Brown Hair: Brown, fine/medium thick and straight I am very openminded, non-judgmental, and friendly. I like to help people, and I love to learn. NICO is right handed, but is, in his own words, a huge fan of ambidexterity. He does not use prescription lenses. NICO is allergic to Cipro, sulfa drugs, and seasonal pollen. He has no other medical conditions or physical abnormalities. Academics NICO has been going to school for a total of 16 years, including kindergarten. After graduating high school in 2005 with honors, NICO moved to the Northeast to attend university for Visual Arts, and graduated in 2009 with a 3.52 GPA. Currently NICO writes for a blog and works freelance for three different magazines shooting photographs and writing articles and interviews. He is planning on spending an additional four years at university for a Master s in Fine Arts and Arts Education. His career goal is in his own words: Do as much work in the magazine industry as I can, until I am too old or disabled. Then teach action photography at a high school or university level. NICO s native language is English, and he also took five years of Spanish in school, but does not speak it fluently. He has not served in the military. My career goal is to do as much work in the magazine industry as I can, until I am too old or disabled. Then teach action photography at a high school or university level.
Q&A with NICO NICO answers questions about his life, experiences, and good memories Which words describe your personality? I am very open-minded, non-judgmental, and friendly. I am usually quiet at first, but will warm up to any one person quickly and become very outgoing. I like to help people, and I love to learn. Describe your strong sides: I consider myself an intelligent person; I learn very quickly and can easily teach what I have learned. I am very qualityoriented, and will take my time on matters that are important to me (haste makes waste!). I am a natural leader and can rally the troops. I can get along with almost anyone, and fit myself comfortably into any conversation or environment. Describe your weak sides: I sometimes act very impulsively (it is something that I am still working on). I am not a good follower; I do not do things simply because other people are doing it, and that sometimes gets me into trouble. I am tenacious to the point where I cannot give up on a task until I am completely happy with it, regardless of prior commitments and time structures. I am not very punctual. Are you more scientific, artistic or humanities oriented? I would say it is a mix of all three; I have a knack for numbers and math. I can remember dates really well. My photographs have been described as very mathematic. The scientific part of me definitely spills into my artwork. I am a fan of philosophy and intelligent conversation. Anything that challenges me to think in a different way. What is your relationship status? Any children? As of right no I am single, but I have been in a couple of different long-term relationships; one of which lasted almost five years. No children. Which types of sport do you like to participate in? I enjoy the fast pace of tennis, and the teamwork involved in volleyball. I also like the accuracy required to play golf, but it is a very slow game and I sometimes cannot deal with that. I ride BMX almost every day (it could be debated that it is not a sport, though). Which sports did you play as a child? I played soccer and baseball in the first and second grades, and then I played football in fourth grade. I picked up skateboarding and BMX bike riding as an alternative to team sports there is much more freedom when you do not need anyone but yourself to play. There really are no rules to extreme sports either. Which sports do you enjoy watching? I like to watch football. I especially like watching highlights reels, or a Top Ten Plays type montage any sport where an incredible play is made. There are these videos on YouTube called People are Awesome where people throw basketballs into baskets from fifty stories up or crazy pool trick shots; I really like watching those videos. List any other hobbies you may have or have had: Arts and crafts making montages of different elements from various photographs and pasting them together to make something surreal or different, something you cannot really shoot a photograph of. I love music, and I love seeing music played live. Do you play any musical instruments? I played guitar in the fourth grade. My friends and I actually had a band for a while. Then I tried the trumpet but did not get very into it. I taught myself how to read sheet music and played piano for a while. I still dabble when there is a piano around. Mostly, I love to sing. I sing whenever I can, if people are listening or not. I was in the select choir in sixth grade; I even had a solo in the holiday recital. Are you a member of a church? No, I was not raised religiously at all. How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night? I always aim for a solid eight hours. I cherish a good night s sleep, with quiet and darkness of paramount importance. I have a really hard time taking naps, and it is almost impossible for me to sleep in a car. If I get lucky, I can sleep on an airplane. When it is bedtime though, I am a pro. Do you eat healthy? I have always eaten healthy (healthier than a lot of people I come in contact with) but I eat a lot, which kind of cancels itself out. My typical day consists of a turkey, egg and cheese sandwich with a yogurt and coffee for breakfast, a PB+J and banana for lunch and a tuna melt and baked beans for dinner. I will sometimes have oatmeal as a bedtime snack. I usually carry a baggie of trail mix with me so I can snack on that if my meal schedule gets interrupted. I drink a lot of water too. I am constantly filling up my water bottle throughout the day. Do you smoke? Yes, I have a cigarette after I eat, which usually ends up being five a day. Some days require a wild-card cigarette, usually around 6:30.
Q&A with NICO NICO answers questions about his life, experiences, and good memories Do you drink alcohol? No. Do you drink alcohol? No, I had a terrible experience a couple of years ago and never looked back. Do you ride a bicycle? Yes. I love it. It is the single best way to get around. It is healthy, it is fun, it is cheap and it is sometimes dangerous (they say you are supposed to do three things a day that scare you riding a bike in NYC for an hour will get you those three, easy). I have been riding BMX since the second grade too, but that is sort-of unconventional way to ride a bicycle. Which countries have you visited? I have been to Canada (mostly Toronto) a few times nothing too crazy. I spent a week in Spain in 2009 with a friend who was there studying abroad. I have plans to visit the United Kingdom this summer. Describe one of your favourite vacations to another country: Definitely spending a week in Barcelona the architecture is amazing, very conducive to extreme sports. The weather was perfect (it was in March) and the people were very friendly and relaxed. The food was awesome and the public transportation was organized and fairly clean. I will definitely be returning there in the future. What do you like the most about your own country? I enjoy the freedoms I have as an American and I feel relatively safe living here. I love being able to travel freely through the states (I love the intricate details and inner-workings of the National Interstate Highway System). I like being at the epicentre of so many industries, and far from the daily corruption I see (on the news) coming from other countries. What is your most memorable childhood experience? Honestly, it would probably be riding my sister s two-wheeled bike when mine still had training wheels on it. I rode so fast down the entire sidewalk, and it felt so amazing. Then I hit a mailbox head-first. Lesson learned, I got back on that bike and have never stopped pedalling. Also, it felt like almost every summer night, the kids in the neighbourhood would congregate in the cul-de-sac and play games like kick the can or freeze tag; I remember really enjoying those nights. What is your favourite colour? It recently dawned on me that I own a lot of red things, but I never recognized it as a favourite color. I like blue, all different shades of blue. I like the combination of black with any color, especially crimson red or midnight blue. What is your favourite animal? I like intelligent creatures like dolphins and orangutans. If I could be any animal though, it would probably be a bird of prey, maybe an eagle or hawk. I would love to be able to fly freely. What is your favourite kind of food? Well my favourite meal is breakfast, mostly because that is when I am most hungry. I love cereals, and the endless combinations you can make with them. I like bread and cheese a lot too, so pizza has to be a favourite. Peanut butter is probably my favourite food though, because it is delicious and relatively healthy, and it mixes well with all different kinds of other foods. What is your favourite kind of music? It depends on my mood or what I am doing I listen to heavier, more upbeat stuff when I am riding my road bike. Usually, I listen to hip-hop when I am riding BMX. If I am just hanging out or driving, I listen to anything that I can sing along with. The only radio station I listen to in the city is the jazz station. I like any music with a good rhythm, a catchy beat and lyrics I can relate to. What is your favourite kind of car? I have always been a fan of the sporty Audi S4, but I have never actually driven one. It is sort of just a fantasy of mine. The Volkswagon GI is another favourite. IT is a two-door hatchback, sporty and sleek, with enough room in the trunk for two bikes and some camera gear. What is your favourite kind of pet? I grew up with dogs, so I will always love them. Recently, I have been living with cats and they are not too bad. I know I will get a dog later in life, when I am settling down, but I like how cats can pretty much take care of themselves and do not demand as much attention. Cats are more spiritual and in-tune with humans than dogs are, but dogs are more playful and versatile.
NICO s family tree Information about NICO s siblings, parents and grandparents Paternal Grandfather Age: 62 Alive: No Ethnicity: French, Irish Occupation: Firefighter Height: 5 10 Weight: 220 lbs Build: Muscular Eye colour: Blue Paternal Grandmother Age: 92 Ethnicity: French Occupation: Homemaker Height: 5 6 Weight: 125 lbs Maternal Grandfather Age: 80 Alive: No Ethnicity: German Occupation: Physician Height: 5 7 Weight: 180 lbs Build: Stocky Maternal Grandmother Age: 86 Ethnicity: English, Canadian Occupation: Teacher Height: 5 8 Weight: 150 lbs Build: Medium/Normal Hair colour: Light brown Eye colour: Blue Father Age: 56 Education: BS in Plant & Soil Sciences Occupation: Super Intendant at Golf Course Musical: Yes, saxophone Dominant hand: Right Height: 5 10 Weight: 220 lbs Build: Muscular Eye colour: Green Languages: English Glasses: No Mother Age: 54 Education: Master s in Education Occupation: Office Assistant Musical: Yes, piano Dominant hand: Right Height: 5 4 Weight: 110 lbs Build: Slender Languages: English, Spanish Glasses: Uses reading glasses Sister Full or half: Full Age: 28 Occupation: Clinical Researcher Height: 5 6 Weight: 128 lbs Hair colour: Dark brown
A personal message from NICO My motivation for being a Cryos International donor Additional response: In today s high impact world, who knows if I will still be healthy enough to have kids of my own (when I am ready and willing). If something this simple can help out a couple in need, there is no reason no to (this is not very gruelling work). I am a giver, and the ultimate gift is life. Procreation is the basis of mankind, and I would like to make sure I am doing my part. Also, I love the science involved in conception; it is an amazing thing. Extended Profile data filled out in JAN2013 Layout and design modified on 24AUG2014