Nicole Rash

Nicole Rash
Nicole Rash attending the Indie Film Festival - Anaheim, CA 8 August 2008, Photo by Glenn Francis of www.PacificProDigital.com
Born	Nicole Elizabeth Rash (1984-10-31) October 31, 1984 (age 32)
Other names	Nicole Elizabeth Cook
Spouse(s)	Grant M. Cook
Website	http://www.nicolerash.com
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m)
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Green

Nicole Elizabeth Rash (born October 31, 1984) is an American model, actress. Pageant winner, Pageant Coach, and Writer. She is the 2007 winner of Miss Indiana, first runner-up to Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund., Ms. Missouri 2012, and Ms. America 2012

Rash was born in South Bend, Indiana, lived in LaPaz, Indiana, and attended LaVille Elementary through the 3rd grade. While she was growing up, Nicole participated in a couple of children's pageants and modeling, showing up in some local advertisements.

In 1994 Nicole's family moved to Plymouth, Indiana where Nicole attended Jefferson Elementary. In her 4th grade year, she experienced her first overseas travel when she entered a direct exchange program through the school with an elementary school in France. She and her family hosted a female student for 3 weeks and Nicole went to France for 3 weeks where she learned to appreciate other cultures and languages. She then attended Lincoln Junior High School in Plymouth for the 6th-8th grades where she excelled in academics, choir, and athletics being on the volleyball, basketball, and track teams. Nicole continued doing well throughout high school being an Academic Honor Society member, among many other clubs, and she continued in sports; she helped lead the volleyball team to sectional championships, the track team to conference wins, and still holds the high jump record with a jump of 5'5" which she achieved her sophomore year. She also placed 9th at the Indiana Track State Finals her senior year in high jump. Nicole graduated from Plymouth High School in 2003 with an academic honors diploma, being in the top 12% of her class, was awarded many scholarships including the presidential scholarship from Ball State University, and was even voted "Most Likely to be a Rockstar" by her class.

Upon graduation Nicole had unconventional plans for her immediate future. Rather than choosing to go to college right away, she chose to travel to South America as an exchange student through an AFS Intercultural Programs-program. Having had several exchange students in her house, since her first experience in France (including exchange students from China, Japan, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria some staying in their home for an entire year), Nicole decided she wanted to learn the Spanish language fluently and experience the South American culture. She chose Bolivia as her host country and lived in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with a host family from September 2003 - August 2004. She attended a high school (Isabel Saavedra) in Santa Cruz for part of the time and even took some college courses while learning the Spanish language.