Student’s leap birthday makes her younger than her children?

Courtesy Photo: HutchCC student Trista Maichle (left) dresses as Raphael from TMNT to celebrate her Leap Year birthday.

By Laci Sutton / Staff Writer

It’s Leap Year, which means February has an extra day. Leap years only happen every four years. The odds of being born on Feb. 29, are about 1 in 1,500. It’s estimated that there are 187,000 people that beat those odds. Those lucky few are called leapers, leapsters, and leaplings.

Hutchinson Community College student Trista Maichle is one of those, and she met with The Collegian for a Q&A.

LS: What is your major at Hutchinson Community College?

TM: Health Information Management

LS: When do you celebrate your birthday?

TM: When I was young we celebrated on February 28, then on
the closest weekend, and now I only celebrate my birthday on February 29. There is always confusion on non-leap year years which day to count as my birthday, February 28 or March 1. This made for an interesting 21st birthday celebration!

LS: How old were you when you fully understood what it meant to have a leap-day birthday?

TM: I was in elementary school.

LS: Was it difficult to explain to your classmates?

TM: No. I have people that I haven’t seen or heard from in years that still get a hold of me on my leap year birthday. It’s an easy one to remember.

LS: Have you ever been made fun of or teased about having a leap-day birthday?

TM: Everyone thought it was great that they had actually met or knew someone born on leap year. I was never made fun of. My older children loved when they were finally older than me. My younger children think it’s funny and can’t wait to catch up to me. They love telling their friends.

LS: Do you count your age based on the leap years?

TM: Yes! Definitely. I try to act my leap year age whenever I can get away with it.

This story is part of a series of features on people on campus with a Leap Day birthday. The other stories can be read below:

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